The Dead Walking
by HGHPFTW2499
Summary: Dominic Frank Baker the nephew of Rick Grimes survived the outbreak. Dom joins up with his uncle in trying to save his family from the walking dead. Along the way he falls in love with a certain blonde haired farm girl. Dom and Rick will do anything to protect there loved ones. (Rated M for language and blood and gore and Dixon mouth Enjoy and please review ;))
1. Chapter 1

The Dead Walking

**Dominic Frank Baker**

I was slowly walking home trying to pick off the sides of a leaf so only the stem was left. I couldn't find Amanda anywhere after school let out, but I wasn't worried she was sixteen she was a big girl who knew how to walk home from school. However I was 17 and still hated walking home from school myself, and it was a really hot day for being the end of September. It had to be at least 95 degrees however this was gonna be perfect weather for our barbecue at Uncle Rick's. I would be lying if I said I wasn't constantly worried about Uncle Rick at work him being a cop and all. Aunt Lori is my mom's sister and it was always fun seeing them, and Carl may only be like 12 years old now but we still have some crazy fun times I love that kid.

I was just about to pick of another piece of my leaf when something jumped on my back.

"Surprise big brother!" Said Amanda

I laughed and lowered her down off my back.4

"You can't scare me like that geez Amanda. You seem like you're in a better mood than usual." I said

We both turned the street corner and our house was in sight, I wiped my forehead of the sweat thank god we were almost home. Amanda smacked the back of my head and started running.

"Race ya home big brother!" She said.

I laughed rubbed my blonde hair and started running after her. I loved hoe even though we were older and almost adults we could still have fun and race home like we were 12 again. I ran and Amanda got into my house well before me so I just stopped and looked around and admired the fresh air.

"Gotta love this Georgia weather eh kid?" Said Mr. Hartnell.

I looked over to my left and saw my favorite neighbor Mr. Hartnell sitting on his porch rocking back and forth in his rocking chair. Mr. Hartnell had always been good to me, always talked to me when he saw me. He was in his late forties didn't have any wife and kids I knew of so talking to me and Amanda must have always been fun for him.

"Yup you gotta love it, how you doing today Mr. Hartnell?" I asked.

"Real good Dom thank you. What about you?" He asked.

"Really good, you see my Uncle Rick today at all?" I asked.

"Nope sorry kid, well I better get back inside before I burn up have fun today kid." He said going back into his house.

I realized that I needed to do the same and went into my house to find Amanda and my mother sitting on the couch there eyes glued to the TV screen.

Amanda looked up. "Ha you're so slow big brother." She said.

My mom got up and hugged me. "How was school today?" She asked.

"Pretty good what's so important on TV? Are they still talking about that infection that's spreading?" I asked.

For the past week the TV has been nothing but reports about this sickness or infection that's been sweeping the country but the government has told us they have it under control.

"Ya it just swept through Texas and Mississippi, I don't know whether we should be scared or not." She said.

"Don't worry about it Ma, is it time to go over Uncle Rick's yet?" I asked.

"Yes we'll leave soon, go get everything you need upstairs." She said.

Amanda ran upstairs, and I followed her. I put on a pair of cargo shorts and a white shirt, my room was stained with posters of the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks. I had always been a huge sports buff. I sat down and looked in the mirror; I rummaged through my dresser and pulled out my knife still in its sheath. I also picked up a picture off my dresser. It was me my mom and my Amanda, we were on the beach and my dad was in this picture. I felt a hinge of pain whenever I looked at this picture. I realized how much I looked like him, dark brown eyes and blonde hair. My sister inherited my mother's looks more, with her brown hair and brown eyes. I slid the knife out of its sheath slightly; my dad was a US army ranger and gave me this knife before he went on his second tour of duty. He died after a roadside bomb went off, that was the only time I ever saw my sister sad and crying, I promised myself I would never let her get like that again. I dropped my knife in my backpack I knew Carl always like to look at it. I also dropped in a few extra pairs of shorts and an extra short in case Uncle Rick tried to get us with the hose like he usually did.

I was interrupted when I heard a scream, a loud scream. My head shot up and I ran to my window. I looked out my window down to Mr. Hartnell's house, I saw through his kitchen window he was pinned down against his fridge, and something that looked like a man was trying to bite his neck. Something my dad always said rang through my head.

"If you feel like you're doing something that's right then it most likely is."

I had to help Mr. Hartnell with whatever was attacking him

"Mr. Hartnell! I'm coming!" I said I grabbed my backpack and ran out of my room.

I ran passed my sisters room into my mother's room and into the closet, my dad always kept a gun in the house in his closet in a secret panel. I flipped the little switch he showed me and I grabbed the ammo and the pistol. Amanda and my mom walked in.

"Dom what are you doing why do you have your fathers gun!?" My mom asked.

"Mr. Hartnell is being attacked!" I said running past them.

"By what!?" Amanda yelled.

"I don't know it looked like a zombie!" I said running down the steps.

I had just like every other kid in the world seen a zombies movie or played a zombies game, and what was attacking Mr. Hartnell looked and moved like one. I ran out the door and whistled.

"Come on Rocket!" I yelled.

My dog Rocket and big black and brown German Shepard ran through my house and joined me. Rocket was my dad's dog so he was a military trained dog, and dad taught me how to give him commands.

I stepped outside and stood on my porch in absolute shock. The sounds of screams and yells were throughout the air, I counted ten of whatever was attacking Mr. Hartnell in front of our house alone. Cars raced down the street and people were running away yelling. A man started running down my street screaming.  
"It's the infection! It's the end of the world don't let them bite you! What oh NO NOOOO." He yelled as one of those things brought him to the ground and started tearing into him.

My mom and Amanda must have heard the commotion because soon they were right next to me; my mother covered her hand over her mouth and started sobbing. My sister was about to scream but I put my hand over her mouth to quiet her. I looked over to the man who was screaming; he rose up and started walking like one of those things.

I had no clue what was going on but Rocket started growling and I saw one approaching us.

"Rocket quiet!" I whispered.

He stopped growling and got into attack position. I leaned over to my sister and mom.

"I have to go find Mr. Hartnell, stay in the house and be quiet. Noise seems to attract them. Amanda take care of mom I'll be right back." I said.

Before my mom could protest Amanda dragged her into the house. I didn't know what these things were but I wasn't about to let them get my family. The thing crept closer, Rocket was ready to pounce. I quickly reached into my bag and pulled out my dad's knife. If noise attracted them I wasn't about to use a gun, I dropped the gun in my bag and got ready to attack it.

My dad would know what to do, but he wasn't here so I had to.

"Rocket! Do it quiet as possible." I said.

Rocket lunged and clanged onto the things leg and it started going crazy. It tried to reach Rocket but Rocket stayed out of its grasp. I took my knife and plunged it right into its heart and pulled it out. I smiled thinking I had killed it. It just growled and kept coming. Wait I stopped and thought, if these are zombies I need to get its brain. I grabbed my knife and plunged it into its brain.

It immediately fell to the ground and Rocket released it and growled. I had to get back on task. I ran off my porch and into Mr. Hartnell's house, I moved slowly and moved into his kitchen when I heard a growl. I turned the corner and saw Mr. Hartnell on the ground with one of those things on top of him. I wanted to throw up; it had ripped open his stomach and was eating his insides.

A rage built up inside me, I remembered all the times me and Amanda slept over or how he comforted us after dad died, how he always used to open his house to us. I pulled my knife out and held it with an iron grip.

"AHHHHH!" I screamed and I tackled the ting and plunged my knife into its eye over and over until the rage in me finally subdued.

I dropped my knife and slumped against the fridge and start to cry, by now all my friends were probably dead. Then something hit me, Uncle Rick, Aunt Lori, and Carl we had to see if they were okay. Rocket nudged me and I got up and grabbed my knife and started moving back towards my house. It was hard to believe just thirty minutes ago I was picking apart a leaf not worried about nothing. I stabbed on of the things I started hearing people running call walkers and walked into my house. Amanda hugged me and so did my mom.

"Mr. Hartnell?" Amanda asked.

"He's dead walkers got him." I said sadly.

Amanda started to cry into my mom. "What are walkers?" Mom asked.

"There what people are calling these things, if one bites you you turn into one. This is the infection we've been hearing about on TV." I said.

Amanda looked at me. "Wait what about Aunt Lori, Uncle Rick, and Carl? We need to see if there okay!"

"Ya that's exactly what I said. Now listen I have a plan. There are about ten walkers between our house and there's, Amanda you know how to get there?" I asked.

"Ya I've been there hundreds of times." She said.

"Okay good now here's what's gonna happen, I'm gonna take this gun shot a few and lead the others left down the street. After it seems safe Amanda you take mom and Rocket and you make a break for Aunt Lori's." I said.

"NO! I can't let you do that I already lost your father I can't lose you to." Mom said.

"Mom there's no other way!" I said.

"Just go with us!" Amanda said.

"No I gotta make sure you're safe first the last thing I promised dad was that I would keep you guys no matter what and I intend to keep that promise." I said with a stern look.

Amanda threw her arms around me and I hugged her. "Please don't go big brother I need you." She said.

"Listen I'm fast enough just stay with Aunt Lori I'll run around the block and be with you soon okay." I said.

She nodded her head and tears started rolling down her face.

"No you stop crying right now, now I will see you again. I love you little sis." I said.

"Love you to big bro." She said.

I got up and hugged my mom. "Please come back." She said.

"I will Ma don't worry." I said.

I leaned down to Rocket and whispered to him, because I knew he would understand me. "If I'm not back by sundown make sure they leave ok? Keep them safe buddy." I said petting him.

He licked me and barked. "Okay let's get this started." I said.

I put my knife in its sheath and handed it to my sister.

"Dom I can't take this..." She started.

"No take it protect mom, go for the brain it's the only thing that works." I said.

She nodded. I pulled the gun outta my bag and turned off the safety, I had extra ammo clips in my pocket. I've spent every summer at the police training academy since I was 13 thanks to Uncle Rick. So I could handle a gun.

I took a deep breath and kicked open my door and ran down the steps and started screaming.

"Yo ugly how about you chase me instead!" I screamed and almost immediately they started lightly jogging towards me.

I took aim and shot one in the head and they were running at me now.

"MA AMANDA GO GO NOW!" I yelled shooting at them more.

"YA YOU GUYS AINT SO TOUGH!" I yelled turning and running.

I looked back and saw Amanda running with my mom and Rocket closely behind. Okay they were safe that's all that mattered I shot another one and started running as fast as I could. I was running along the sidewalk, when a walker jumped out of the bush and grabbed me and brought me to the ground. I smacked it with my pistol and shot it once in the head, and I kept running. Soon the group behind me was close, so I dug deep and started to pull ahead. I turned a corner and the last thing I remember was being hit in the head by something big and blunt before I blacked out.

**Amanda Marie Baker**

"Come on Ma run we're almost there!" I yelled.

God I hoped Dom was okay, we were just about to reach Aunt Lori's when a walked was in front of us.

"Get it Rocket." I said.

Rocket jumped up and clenched its neck with his jaws and brought it to the ground. It tried to bite him but Rocket got outta the way. I grabbed the knife Dom had given me and stabbed it into its head. The blood that splattered almost made me sick. Another one was coming at me when suddenly its head came off and I heard a shot go off. I looked up and saw Uncle Rick's police partner Shane.

"Amanda, Sue is that you?" He asked running over to us

"Shane thank god it's you where's Uncle Rick?" I asked.

"Just get in the car I'll explain later!" He said as he shot another walker.

Me mom and Rocket all got into Shane's sheriff car and he drove us a little bit down the street to Aunt Lori's house. We got outta the car and ran into her house to find her and Carl frantically packing things.

Aunt Lori looked up and came and hugged us. "Oh my god Sue, Amanda thank god you're okay." She said.

"Where's Dom?" Shane asked.

I started tearing up. "He led the walkers away he said he'd be back." I said

"We have to go find him!" Aunt Lori said about to walk out the door.

Shane grabbed her and pulled her back inside. "Are you crazy Lori!? There are walkers everywhere we gotta get outta here!" Shane said.

"I'm not leaving without my brother!" I said crossing my arms.

"And what about Rick has he recovered, why isn't he with you!?" Lori said.

"Recovered from what?" I asked.

"He got shot yesterday at work they were chasing someone and he got a shotgun bullet to his shoulder." Aunt Lori said.

"What! Is he okay?" I said turning to Shane.

Shane lowered his head and we all knew what was happened. Aunt Lori started crying and Mom hugged her and they both started crying.

"What happened to my dad?" Carl piped up from behind.

I walked over to him tears leaking down my face. I got on my knees and hugged him. "He didn't make it Carl." I said sobbing.

Carl started bursting out in tears, and we just sat there and cried. Rocket even came over and licked us, Shane just stood there with a blank look on his face.

"We have to leave now." Shane said bluntly.

"HA not without my brother." I said standing up holding Carl's hand.

"What where's Dom?" Carl asked.

I had to tell him, he and Dom were close.

"He lead the walkers away, he'll be back soon." I said.

"Amanda's wright I'm not leaving without my boy." My mom said.

"She's wright Shane I ain't leaving my nephew here, it's bad enough Rick is gone. I can't lose my nephew to." Lori said.

Shane loaded his gun and paced for a bit, he seemed to be thinking.

"Listen you guys I don't like leaving Dom behind either, but he'll be fine. He's been the top of his class at the academy since he was 14 he can handle himself." Shane said.

"I know he can handle himself but we can't just leave him here!" I said.

"Here's what we do we leave now and if Dom."

"When Dom come back!" I corrected

"When Dom comes back he'll read a note that we will leave him saying were going to Atlanta, and he'll be able to find us." Shane said.

I thought about this for a second we did need to get outta here, and I promised Dom that I would take care of mom. I knew Dom could find his way back and he promised he would see us again, and Dom never broke his promises. I had to ask mom.

"He promised he'd see us again." I said.

"And he never breaks his promises." She said.

She smiled and I knew she agreed.

"Come on Rocket we're getting outta here." I said.

"Good I'll write the note for Dom then we'll leave get everything you need." Shane said walking into the kitchen.

I sighed as I helped Carl pack, I just hopped Dom was okay.


	2. Chapter 2

The dead walking

**Dominic Frank Baker**

I slowly opened one eye and everything I saw was hazy. I felt on my left temple and felt a huge bump; I gently ran my finger over it and winced.

"So you're finally awake, that's good." I heard someone say.

I looked up and saw a man just sitting on a recliner. I recognized him, his name was Jackson something I didn't know his last name. He was the town crazy that's what kids at school called them. He was always running down the street yelling about the end of the world, my on friend even told me he had an underground bunker built into his backyard. I was always nice to him, but everyone called him crazy. I guess he was wright, looks like he's the sane one.

"Jackson what's going on where are we? How long have I been out?" I asked rubbing my head

"Oh you've been out for a few weeks, towns gone to shit as far as I know we're the only ones left." He said.

No, no I remembered what happened now I had to find my mom and Amanda. But then I remembered what happened before I blacked out. I looked in the corner of Jackson's bunker and saw a shovel next to his bed.

"Did you hit me with a shovel!? Why?" I asked.

"Well I thought it would get lonely in here and I didn't want too many people here and you've always been nice to me so I figured you'd be perfect." He said in his creepy voice.

I had one thing on my mind I had to get to Aunt Lori's house to see if Amanda and mom made it out or if they… I didn't wanna think like that.

"Look I gotta go find my sister where's my gun?" I asked.

"Your bags over there I out some extra food in there and gave you some more ammo, but you'll come back right!" He said with a smile.

I looked at him I didn't wanna be with him any longer then I already did. But he had a bunker with ammo and food so I would need to stay with him for a little if things were bad.

"Ya I'll be back I gotta see if my family made it out." I said putting my backpack on.

"Okay just be careful out there, try to be quiet." He said.

I grabbed the shovel from the corner and walked up the few steps and opened the hatch and closed it quickly behind me. The first thing that hit me was the stench, it smelled like rotting meat. I walked out of the backyard and looked up and down the street. The street was crawling with walkers, some were just wondering around others were eating corpses. It was still scorching hot and the sun was brutal.

"Gotta love that Georgia weather." I muttered as I started walking down the street.

Jackson lived just around the corner from Uncle Rick; I slowly moved down the street and turned the corner. I looked down the street at Uncle Rick's house, it felt just like yesterday that I was about to go there. When actually it was a few weeks ago actually. I was about to move towards there house when I saw a bike round the corner, I initially drew my gun and took aim. I didn't wanna take any chances; I've seen enough zombie apocalypse movies to know looters were dangerous.

Something stopped me I looked closer and saw the man riding the bike was wearing what looked like a blue hospital robe. I looked closer and saw he had a beard and he stopped right in front of Uncle Rick's. There was no way.

"No way, Uncle Rick." I said quietly as I started moving faster to their house my gun drawn ready to fire on any walkers that made their way to his house.

**Rick Grimes.**

I slowly made my way out of the house and the reality of this situation hadn't set in. Where are Lori and Carl? Are they even alive? What about Dom and Amanda? Were they all one of whatever I saw on the way here? I looked up at the road and saw a man, he was limping slowly towards me, and my vision was still a little bit blurry. The man stuck his arms out, and started moving towards me fast. Before I could say anything and bullet went through its head.

"UNCLE RICK. UNCLE RICK IT'S DOM!" I heard.

I stood up and saw my nephew Dom running down the street with a gun raised. I heard a growling behind me and I saw another man, he was about to lunge for me but before he got to me a bullet hole was in his head. I turned around and saw my nephew, his gun still raised. He smiled and I was about to drop, I started to daze.

"No no no Uncle Rick!" I heard him say before everything went black.

It felt like an instant later that I was coming to, I opened my eyes and I was laying down on a bed with a blanket over me and my bullet wound all but healed with a bandage on it.

"Uncle Rick! Thank god you're okay." Dom said coming and sitting next to the bed.

I sat up fast and grabbed my nephew's shirt. "Dom what the hell is going on, why did you shoot two people!" I asked.

He took my arm off him and looked at me with shock.

"Uncle Rick I didn't kill people I killed two walkers." He said.

"A walker what the hell is that?" I asked.

He looked even more shocked. "Wait Uncle Rick you don't know what's going on?" He said.

"What are you talking about boy what's going on?" I asked.

He bit his lip. "You remember that infection we heard about on TV." He asked.

I nodded.

"Well it hit hear, and if you're infected with it you turn into one of those thing I killed. You turn into a walker. It's like a huge zombie outbreak." He explained.

This couldn't be happening. I needed to know where Lori and Carl were now.

"Wait where's your sister, your mother? Do you think there with Lori and Carl?" I asked.

"I don't know I actually just woke up this morning. Jackson over here knocked me out with a shovel and I've been out for a few weeks. I have no clue where they are. Where have you been Uncle Rick, and Jackson says that's a bullet wound what happened?" He asked.

I was still stunned but I explained to him what I went through, how I was shot and just woke up and made my way here.

"Wait don't you think Shane would've got Aunt Lori and Carl? And he must've got my mom and sister to." He said.

I remembered what I found in the house now; I reached into the pocket of the hospital robe and pulled out the note I found that said "From Shane".

"This in my house, it's from Shane here I'll read it." I said sitting up

I swung my feet to the side of the bed and unfolded the letter. I read it aloud to Dom and it seemed we both found new hope. Shane said he was taking them to Atlanta, and if I was to trust anyone other than me to get my family to safety it was Shane.

"Come on Uncle Rick come eat we can decide what to do in the morning." He said.

A hot meal sounded good right now, and then in the morning we could decide what to do. I was glad Dom was safe at least. If we were going to find our family we needed to work together from what he explains to me during dinner it'll be hard. I feel asleep in the recliner chair ready for the next morning.

**Dominic Frank Baker**

I was glad to have Uncle Rick back with me; I was scared I would have to do it by myself. I know we can find everyone, and if anyone can survive this it's us. I gave Uncle Rick some of the spare clothes I had in my bag, we decided we were gonna get some guns and ammo form the police station, and Jackson said he would give us a weeks' worth of food which would be good.

We said goodbye to Jackson and we made our way out of his backyard and started walking towards the police station.

"So what do we do once we get to Atlanta?" I asked with my gun raised ready to fire if needed.

"We find everyone else that's our number one priority after that I don't know." Uncle Rick said.

I didn't expect him to answer me, I had just hopped he didn't ignore me. It was till hard for me to believe all of this was happening. I mean I always joked with my friends that a zombie apocalypse would be cool, but I never meant it.

"Heads up Dom we got one." He said lifting his gun up and ready to fire.

I lowered his hand and motioned for him to put his gun away. We needed to kill that walker to get through to the station.

"You can't shot unless you absolutely need to, noise attracts more of them." I said.

I lifted my gun and slowly walked up to the walker. I jumped up and smashed it in the head with my pistol, after it fell to the ground I stomped on its head. Uncle Rick came up and walked to the station door and opened it. I jogged up behind him.

"You have to hit the brain only thing that kills them." I said.

"Good to know. Come on let's get some decent clothes first." He said opening what I guessed to be the locker room.

"Here this is your size." Uncle Rick said tossing me a sheriff outfit.

I smiled at him and after about five minutes we both had the outfit on. He grabbed a hat and put it on.

"Do I get a hat to?" I asked.

"Not yet cowboy, come on let's get some guns." He said.

We both walked through the halls to the armory and unlocked it. It was the mother lode, any zombie survivalist dream. We filled a bag with almost 1000 rounds of ammo, 6 shotguns, 5 rifles, 5 handguns. Uncle Rick tossed me a belt with a holster and I put it on and put my dad's pistol in the holster.

"That your fathers old gun?" Uncle Rick asked holding a rife on his back.

He also had his revolver in his holster, and he looked ready for a war. I grabbed a shotgun and loaded it with an ample supply of ammo, and now I wasn't a man ready for war. I was a man ready to survive.

I started walking out of the armory which we had picked clean.

"Ya it's his and it's gonna help me find Amanda." I said.

"Well we won't find her sitting here, I got the car keys let's go." He said.

We had one full tank and another can of gas in the trunk, we might not make it to Atlanta but hopefully we could scavenge fuel on the road. Uncle Rick got in the driver seat and I got into the passenger seat, I looked at myself in the sheriff uniform. I liked the way I looked in it, now I had one job.

To find my sister.


	3. Chapter 3

The dead walking

**Rick Grimes**

"Dom hand me the CB." I asked.

He reached down and grabbed the radio it was time for me to see if anyone else was out there hopefully the Atlanta refugee camp.

"This is officer Rick Grimes with Officer Dominic Baker broadcasting on emergency channel. We will be approaching Atlanta on highway 85. Anybody reads please respond." I said

Dom looked at the radio with anticipation just like me he hopped somebody would respond, but after a few moments nobody responded.

"Here let me try." Dom said.

I handed him the radio.

"Hello, Hello this is Officer Dominic Baker with officer Rick Grimes can anyone hear my voice." He said.

It was the same result.

"Is anybody out there? If anybody hears me please respond, hello can anybody hear my voice." He said into the radio.

**Amanda Marie Baker.**

I heard the static on our CB and immediately me and Amy dropped the fire wood and ran over to it.

I picked it up, as Dale just showed up next to the radio as well.

"Hey, Hello?" I said into the radio.

"Can you hear my voice?" the person said.

I froze for a second the voice sounded eerily familiar, but it couldn't be possible so I pushed the idea out of my head. Amy took the radio from me.

"Yes, I can hear you you're coming through!" Amy said looking at me with a smile.

"If anybody reads please respond." The voice said again.

**Dominic Frank Baker**

"This is Officer Dominic Baker reporting on emergency channel with officer Rick Grimes we will be approaching Atlanta on highway 85 if anyone reads please respond!" I said into the radio with urgency

I looked down in disappointment, nobody heard me my hope was slowly slipping away.

"Here let me try again." Uncle Rick said taking the radio.

**Amanda Marie Baker.**

No the radio did not just say what I thought it said. It was Dom and he had Uncle Rick with him! But still I couldn't get to excited, it could be anyone our names were pretty common I gave up hope on ever seeing Dom or Uncle Rick ever again a few weeks ago. Uncle Rick was supposed to be dead. But still I ran up and took the radio from Amy I had to tell them Atlanta wasn't safe!

"Dom! Dom is that you? It's Amanda we are just outside the city!" I said

The radio cackled with static and my heart sunk to the bottom of my chest.

"Hello, Hello!" I said.

I turned to Dale who was behind me with Amy.

"He couldn't hear me I couldn't warn him!" I said.

"Try to raise him again." Dale suggested.

I tried what Dale said and it didn't work.

"Come here son you know best how to work this thing." Dale said to Shane who had just came back from the woods.

Shane tossed aside his ax and picked up the radio.

"Hello, Hello is the person who called still on the air?" Shane said into the radio.

"Shane I think it was my brother!" I said.

"What? That's impossible, he's a tough kid but I doubt he survived this long." He said quietly.

"This is Officer Shane Walsh broadcasting to person unknown please respond! Dom is that you kid?" He said.

The radio came out with nothing but static.

"He's gone." Shane said in disappointment.

Aunt Lori came over with Carl next to her.

"Well at least we know there are others not just us." Aunt Lori said.

"We knew there would be right that's why we left the CB on." Shane said.

"Ya a lot of good it's been doing." Aunt Lori said.

"Aunt Lori it was my brother! Amy didn't he say Dom Baker?" I said.

"Ya he said it was officer Dom Baker." Amy said.

"What! Then we have to go find him! I've been telling you for weeks Shane we should put up a sign saying Atlanta isn't safe." Aunt Lori said

"People have no idea what they're getting into." Amy said.

"Well we haven't had any time." Shane said.

"Then we need to make time especially if it's my nephew!" Aunt Lori said.

"Ya time is a luxury we can't afford, we have been surviving here day by day." Shane said.

"Who the hell would you suggest we send?" Dale said.

"I'll go give me a vehicle." Aunt Lori said.

"I'll go with her; I ain't gonna let Dom walk right into the city." I said.

"First of we don't know if it's really him, second Amanda you're too young and Lori I'm not sending you by yourself." Shane said.

Aunt Lori seemed to get real mad and walked off. I looked at Shane with disgust.

"Ya so we'll just let my brother walk into a death trap that's just fine. Come on Carl I'll help you with your chores." I said taking Carl and walking away.

I had accepted the fact Dom may be dead, but I still had a tiny sliver of hope that it really was him on the radio.

**Rick Grimes.**

"It's no use Uncle Rick nobody's out there." Dom said.

I placed the radio down and looked at the gas dial.

"Well that's the least of our problems we ain't got much gas left." I said.

"Well this is just dandy isn't it." Dom said throwing his hands up.

We went on for about another mile when I saw a small farm house come up on my side of the street.

"Well it looks like we go lucky." I said.

"As lucky as we can get in a zombie apocalypse." He said.

I laughed a bit. "Haha get the bag of guns and get outta the car boy." I said opening my door and getting out.

Dom slung the bag of guns over his shoulder and joined me. I opened the trunk and grabbed a fuel can from it and we both walked up to the house. It looked completely deserted.

"I got a bad feeling about this Uncle Rick." Dom said with his hand on the gun to his side.

"Hello! Police officer's out here." I yelled.

"Tone it down a bit Uncle Rick there could be walkers." Dom said.

The boy was wright. "Can we borrow some gas?!" I said.

Nobody responded and we both started approaching the house. You couldn't hear anything except our footsteps and the sound of wind chimes.

"Hello!" Dom said as we came to the front door.

"Hello, anybody home?" I said knocking on the door.

We made our way around the porch and looked through a side window; I heard nothing but flies buzzing from inside the house.

"Oh I think I'm gonna be sick." Dom said

Inside on the wall were the words "God forgive us" written in blood, and the bodies of a man and women were rotting inside. The man had a shotgun pointed at himself sitting on a recliner while the women lay dead on the floor. Flies had infested both corpses.

Me and Dom both went and sat down on the porch.

"You feel okay?" I asked him.

"A little sick but I'll be fine." He said.

"Good go look around back see if there's anything back there. I'll check out around here." I said.

"You got it." He said getting up and walking off.

I got up a rounded the corner and I saw a truck, it was most likely were I would find gas. I walked up to it and opened the door there were no keys, or anything of value in the sun visor or glove box. I close the door and walked away disappointed.

"Hey Uncle Rick check this out!" I heard Dom say.

I looked over and saw Dom and the gate of a corral and inside the corral was a chestnut brown horse standing there. It wouldn't be comfortable but me and Dom could diffidently ride that to Atlanta. I walked over to him and grabbed some rope I found on the fence.

"Nice find kid." I said.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" He asked.

I slowly opened the gate. "Yup" I said.

I walked up to the horse and it whined and back up a bit.

"Easy now easy, I'm not gonna hurt ya." I said.

I got a bit closer and Dom slowly followed. "No nothing like that, more of a proposal. Atlanta's just down the road; it's safe there it has food, shelter, and people. Other horses to I bet, how's that sound?" I said.

I was wright next to it now and I tied the rope around its neck, it was the closest thing to reins I was gonna get.

"There we go good boy." I said I pulled him over near the road and climbed on its back.

Dom looked at me with awe as I helped him up onto its back behind me. "Damn Uncle Rick when was the last time you did this?" He asked.

He put his arms around me and we were ready to ride.

"It's been years my dear nephew years." I said as the horse started galloping towards Atlanta

**Dominic Frank Baker.**

We had been riding for about 20 more minutes up the highway until Atlanta was finally in view and Uncle Rick brought the horse to a stop. We both looked up at Atlanta; it didn't look at all like there was anything in the city at all. You couldn't hear a sound except for the horse's feet walking on the street.

"Look's deserted Uncle Rick." I said.

"Ya I know but still if there's a chance you could find Amanda would you take it?" He asked.

"Of course." I said.

"Then let's get going." He said as the horse started galloping towards the city.

We crossed the bridge into the city. There wasn't a soul alive or dead that I could see yet. We were on the streets now, and as we went through the streets all I could see were abandoned military vehicles and cars. There was still not a soul to be found, and it was making me nervous I placed my hand over my gun just in case.

"This is making me nervous Uncle Rick." I said.

"Me to but we gotta keep moving." He said.

We passed a bus where I saw two corpses laying in, we passed in and soon I heard raspy breathing. My hand was then on the handle of my father's gun ready to draw at any moment. The horse jerked suddenly at the sight of the walkers.

"Easy boy it's just a few nothing we can't outrun." Uncle Rick said.

We approached an abandoned tank, when we heard crows crowing. I looked up and near the tanks main gun two crows were sitting on a dead soldier. Uncle Rick and I looked up in disgust and kept moving. Soon after I heard something in the sky, it sounded like a helicopter. Uncle Rick must've heard it to because we both started looking up and looking for it. I spotted it.

"There it is Uncle Rick!" I said.

He saw it and urged the horse forward. The horse started running and we went to turn a corner and we were met by a huge herd of walkers. The horse immediately panicked. Uncle Rick immediately turned the horse around and soon we were being chased by a while herd. We retreated back to the tank where we were met by more! They grabbed at the horses reins, and pulled it to the ground taking me and my uncle down with it.

I kicked a walker off of me and I looked to my left and notice the bag of guns had fallen off my back!

"Dom get under the tank NOW!" I heard Uncle Rick scream

I looked and he had started crawling under the tank, I followed him.

"Oh god oh god oh god." I said following my Uncle.

"Stay calm Dom just do what I do." He yelled.

Soon the walkers followed us under the tank, Uncle Rick drew his revolver and started killing as many as he could. I pulled out my dad's gun and started firing not missing a shot. Soon I heard Uncle Rick's gun click and he was out of ammo. I looked up and realized it was the bottom hatch of the tank! I grabbed what I could and pulled myself into the tank and yelled for my Uncle.

"UNCLE RICK HERE." I yelled grabbing his hand and pulling him into the tank with me.

After he was in I close the hatch. We were both sitting there panting like crazy both of us were out of breath.

"You okay? Did you get bit?" Uncle Rick asked.

"No, you?" I asked.

"No." He said.

Uncle Rick found the body of a dead soldier and grabbed is pistol off of him. Soon it began to growl and reach for him. Fast as I could I fired and put a bullet in its brain. The shot fired rang through the tank making my ears feel like they were bleeding, me and Uncle Rick both grabbed our ears in pain.

Through the pain I out my head up through the top hatch of the tank, I looked over to my left and saw the bag of guns surrounded by walkers. Soon they started swarming the top of the tank so I quickly closed the hatch and retreated into the tank. You could hear the thumping of walkers on top of the tank. Uncle Rick loaded the pistol he took off the dead soldier and we both just sat there waiting for death to come.

But soon I heard radio static start to cackle and apparently Uncle Rick did as well. We both looked at the radio in disbelief.

"Hey you guy's. Hey dumbasses. Yes you two in the tank! Is it cozy in there?" The voice said.


	4. Chapter 4

The dead walking

**Amanda Marie Baker**

"So you think it was your brother on the radio?" Amy said as we both washed clothes.

"Ya he led the walkers away from our house and he said he's be back, we left a note for him to come to Atlanta when we left. He never showed up I thought he was dead." I said.

I liked Amy a lot she was 19 and a few years older than me, but we had a lot in common. She would've been one of my best friends before the outbreak if we knew each other. She was gorgeous to, and since we usually had the same chores we spent a lot of time together.

"Ain't you happy that it might be him?" she asked.

"I'm trying not to be because if it's not him I don't wanna get my hopes up." I said.

"Oh um do you mind me saying, he was absolutely gorgeous! You showed me his picture I sure do hope he finds us." She said.

"Hahaha well if I know my brother he'll do anything to get to me, he'll be fine if he's alive." I said

**Rick Grimes.**

"Hey are you guy alive in there?" The radio said.

I got up and hit my head on the roof of the tanks and rushed over to the radio next to Dom.

"Hello, Hello!" I said

"Oh there you are. You guys had me wondering." The voice said.

"Where are you outside? Me and my nephew are stuck in here. Can you see us right now?" I said.

"Ya I see you guys you're surrounded by walkers that's the bad news." The voice said.

"There's good news?" Dom chirped up from behind.

"No."

Dom came and grabbed the radio.

"Listen whoever you are I don't mind telling you me and my Uncle are a little freaked out in here!" He said.

"Oh man if you guys saw it from over here you'd be having a major freak out."

I grabbed the radio back. "Any advice for us?" I asked.

"Ya I'd say make a run for it." The voice said.

"That's it make a run for it?" I asked.

"It's not as dumb as it sound you have eyes on the outside here. There's one walker on the tank but the rest went and joined the feeding frenzy where the horse went down. You with me so far?" he asked.

"So far." I said.

"Okay the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded, if you guys move now while you're distracted you stand a chance. You got ammo?" The voice asked.

"In that duffel bag we dropped out there and guns can we get to it?" I asked

"No forget the bag it's not an option forget about it. What do you have on you?"

"One sec. Dom how much ammo you got?" I asked.

"15 rounds left. What do you have in that berretta?" He asked.

"Nothing, check that guy for ammo." I said pointing to the dead walker.

Dom went and checked and tossed me one mag with 15 rounds in it.

"I found this on him to." He said tossing me a hand grenade.

That would diffidently come in handy later. I grabbed the radio again.

"We both got a handgun and 15 rounds." I said.

"Make them count. Jump of the right side of the tank and keep going in that direction, there's an alley up the street maybe 50 yards up be there!" The voice said.

"Hey what's your name?" I asked

"Have you been listening you're running out of time!" the voice said.

Okay it was time to move; I dropped the radio and turned to Dom.

"Okay Dom back to back makes every shot count. Follow me and stay close." I said getting up near the hatch.

"What about the guns?" Dom asked.

"We gotta forget about them. The alley is 50 yards up, you ready?" I asked.

He nodded and I grabbed the handle to the hatch. I opened it up and there was one walker coming towards me. I smacked it with my pistol, and jumped off the tank and Dom soon followed. We both got up and started moving back to back down the street in the direction I was told. We both fired of at least ten rounds, we both hit every shot. I looked up and saw the alley and turned the corner.

"Whoa not dead don't shot!" Said and Asian boy who I guessed was the man on the radio.

Dom fired off another shot and the boy urged us on.

"Come on come on." He said running down the alley.

"Come on boy." I said

Dom turned around and started running with the boy I fired a few more round behind me and soon I was out of ammo. We reached a ladder and the boy started climbing up it followed closely by Dom and soon they were both up on the fire escape, Dom fired off a few more rounds and covered me as I climbed up the ladder and soon the three of us were safe on the fire escape.

We all sat there panting with exhaustion, the boy looked at me while Dom had almost passed out.

"Nice moves there Clint Eastwood, you two the new sheriff's come ridding in to clean up the town?" He asked.

"It wasn't our intention." I said

"Ya whatever yeehaa, you're both still dumbasses." He said.

"I'm Rick thanks." I said holding out my hand.

"And I'm Dom thanks to." Dom said holding out his hand to.

"I'm Glenn and you're welcome." He said shaking our hands.

Glenn looked over the railing. "Oh no." He said.

The walkers were swarming the ladder, Glenn looked up and we saw a ladder that went all the way up to the roof.

"Hey bright side, it'll be the fall that kills us." Glenn said.

"That is true." Dom said.

"I'm a glass half full kinda guy." Glenn said as he started to climb up the ladder.

Dom followed him and I followed Dom. We got to the rooftop and started walking along the rooftops.

"Are you the one who barricaded the alley?" Dom asked Glen as we kept walking.

"No somebody did, I guess when the city got overrun. Whoever did it was thinking not many walkers can get through." Glenn said.

"Back at the tank why'd you stick your neck out for us?" I asked as we opened a hatch which I guessed led down into a building.

"Call it foolish hope, but if I'm ever that far up shit creek I hope somebody might do the same for me. Guess that makes me a bigger dumbass then you guys." He said climbing down the ladder. Me and Dom looked at each other and then Dom made his way down the ladder and I followed.

We made our way through an office building and out an exit and went down steps to an alley when Glenn pulled out his radio.

"I'm back I got two guest I count four walkers in the alley." He said into the radio.

We got to the bottom of the steps where there were four walkers. Dom raised his gun but before he could fire two people in body armor came out and stated hitting the two walkers with bats.

"Let's go!" Glenn said running towards the door the people came out of.

Me and Dom both ran through the door.

"Morales let's go!" Glenn shouted.

The two men followed us and we made our way into the building.

**Dominic Frank Baker.**

We walked into the what looked like an old abandoned store following Glenn. After we got into the room I saw a few people but what I saw first was some girl with blonde hair grab Uncle Rick and pushes him up against some boxes with a gun to his head.

"You son of a bitch we ought to kill you." She said pointing a pistol to his head.

I still had about five rounds left and I pulled out my gun and pointed it at her head.

"You better get that gun out of my Uncle's face!" I said she turned and had a worried look on her face.

"Andrea back off, ease up alright!" The man named Morales said.

"Ease up? You're kidding me right; we're dead because of this stupid asshole!" She said pointing her gun to his forehead.

I put my gun against her temple. "I said get the gun outta my Uncle's face!" I said louder.

"Dom put your gun down NOW." He said.

I wasn't about to argue I lowered my gun.

"Well pull the trigger go on." Morales said.

Andrea's hand started to shake, and she lowered her gun.

"We're dead all of us. Because of you two." She said.

"I don't understand." Uncle Rick said.

"Look we came into the city to scavenge supplies." Morales said leading us to the front of the store.

"You know what the key to scavenging is? Surviving, you know what the key to surviving is? You know what the key to surviving is? Tiptoeing sneaking in and out, not shooting up the streets like you two idiots did!" He said

"Every walker from miles around heard you popping off rounds." Said short but large black man.

"You just rang there dinner bell." Andrea said.

"Get the picture now?" Morales asked.

Uncle Rick and I both looked out the front door of the store which was barricaded. At least 100 walkers were all trying to get through the door to get at us. I sighed I did get the picture now.

Suddenly what sounded like a shot from a rifle went off and everyone looked up towards the ceiling.

"Oh no is that Dixon!?" Andrea said running towards the roof.

"What is he doing!?" Morales said.

The whole group including me and Uncle Rick ran up to the roof. WE all got to the roof where there was a man with a sniper rifles picking off walkers.

"Hey Dixon are you crazy!?" Morales said.

The man laughed. "Hey. You ought to be more polite to a man with a gun." Then man said.

"Only common sense right?" He said jumping down off the corner of the building.

"Man you wasting bullets we don't even have man! You're bringing even more of them down on my ass now man. Stop it man!" The black man said.

"Hey bad enough I got this taco-bender on my ass all day. Now I'm gonna take orders from you? I don't think so bro that'll be the day." Dixon said.

"That'll be the day? You got something you wanna tell me?" He said.

"Hey T-dog man just leave it, it ain't worth it." Morales said.

"Now Merle just relax man we already got enough trouble." Morales said.

"You wanna know the day?" Merle said to T-dog.

"Ya." T-dog said.

"I'll tell you the day Mr. Yo it's the day I take orders from a nigger." Merle said.

T-dog went to swing but Merle hit him with the stock of his rifle. Uncle Rick went to grab Merle but he hit him with his rifle butt and Uncle Rick fell over. After that Merle punched T-dog and soon he was on the ground with Merle on top of him. I ran over to Uncle Rick and kneeled next to him.

"You alright Uncle Rick?" I asked.

"Ya Dom just don't do anything…" He started.

"No! I'm gonna show that damn redneck not to touch my Uncle." I said getting up.

Merle was on top of T-Dog now with a gun to his head. He spit on him and stood up.

"Ya all right we're gonna have ourselves a little pow wow huh? Talk about who's in charge. I vote me, anybody else? Huh? Democracy time show of hands huh? All in favor huh, come on let's see em." Merle said his gun pointed in the air.

The black girl raised her middle finger. Soon Andrea and Glenn raised their hands

"Ya that's good. Now that means I'm the boss right? Anybody else? Hmm anybody?" He said.

"Yeah." I said

Merle turned around and I smacked him hard with my pistol. He fell on the ground and I put my knee on his face and took Uncle Rick's cuffs and handcuffed his right hand to a pipe that was nearby on the roof. Uncle Rick got up and was watching me with a smile now.

I grabbed him by his shirt and sat him up and punched him once.

"Who the hell are you man!?" He yelled

"Officer friendly." I said I grabbed the handgun Merle had and loaded it.

"Look here Merle things are different now. There are no "Niggers" anymore. No dumb as shit inbreed white trash like you either. Only dark meat and white meat, there's us and the dead walking. We survive this by pulling together not apart." I said right in his face

"Screw you man." He said

"I can see you make a habit of missing the point." I said.

"Ya well screw you twice." He said.

I cocked the gun and put it against his temple.

"Ought to be more polite to a man with a gun, only common sense." I said.

"You wouldn't you're just a kid not even a cop yet." He said.

I got in his face. "All I am anymore is a man looking for his sister, anybody who gets in the way of that's gonna lose. I'll give you a moment to think about that." I said.

I was about to get up when Uncle Rick said. "Don't forget to search him Dom."

I leaned back down and reached into his pocket, I pulled out what looked like morphine or some kinda drug.

"Got something on your nose there." I said flicking it.

"What are you gonna do, arrest me?" He said.

I walked over to the and threw what I found on him off the roof. He got real pissed after that.

"Hey what are you doing man that's my stuff! Man if I get lose you better pray! You hear me man you hear me!" He said as all of us start walking to the other side if the roof to regroup.

"That was nice kid I'm rubbing off on ya." Uncle Rick said slapping my back.

We all regrouped and fixed ourselves.

"Man it's like time square down there." Andrea said.

"How's that signal on the CB?" Morales asked.

"Like Dixon's brain weak." T-dog said.

"Then it's up to us to find a way out on our own." Uncle Rick said

"Streets ain't safe is an understatement." Morales said.

"What about under the streets the sewers?" Uncle rick said.

"Oh man, Glenn checks the alley. You see any man whole covers?" Morales said

Glenn walked over to the street and looked.

"Nope, must be on the same street as the walkers." Glenn said.

"Maybe not, old building like this built in the twenty's big structures often had drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of a flood." The black woman said.

"How do you know?" Glenn asked.

"It was my job, was I worked in the city's zoning office." She said.

We all made our way down and sure enough she was wright, it was a ladder leading down to the sewers. We all gathered around it, and the first thing that hit me was the smell.

"This is it? Are you sure?" Morales asked.

"I really scoped this place out the other times I was here. It's the only thing in the building that goes down, but I've never gone down it." Glenn said.

"Okay I can bring one person down there with me that's it. Rick, you and Andrea should stay in the store to cover us. Dom you come with me, Jackie you stay here and watch yell down to us if anything goes wrong." Glenn said.

"Okay everyone knows there jobs, Dom try not to get killed alright." Uncle Rick said smiling.

I laughed "You got it." I said climbing down the ladder after Glenn.

We got down there and the smell really hit me and I coughed once, man I wish I had a stronger stomach because I felt like I was about to through up. We silently started making our way through the tunnel, and you could hear nothing but rats and water dripping. I hope Uncle Rick was having fun with his job.

**Rick Grimes**

Andrea and I made our way back to the front of the store and sure enough it was still being bombarded by walkers.

"Hey I'm sorry for the gun in your face." She said

"People do things when they're afraid, I'm sorry my nephew had a gun against your head." I said.

"It's fine, and I'm sorry even though it wasn't entirely unjustified." Andrea said.

"You did get us into this." She said.

"If I got us out would that make up for it?" I asked.

"No but it'd be a start." She said.

"Next time though take the safety off, it won't shoot otherwise. Is that your gun?" I asked.

"It was a gift why?" She said.

I reached for her gun and she gave it to me. I flicked off the safety and gave it back to her.

"Little red dot means it's ready to fire, you may have occasion to use it." I said

She looked at me and gave a little smile. "Good to know." She said.

**Dominic Frank Baker.**

Glenn and I kept moving down the sewer, the smell hadn't gotten any better but soon we were at a sewer grate.

"Yeah we got ourselves a sewer tunnel, looks like Jackie was right." I said.

"Think we can cut through it?" Glenn asked.

"If we had a blowtorch and half a day ya sure, but a hacksaw sure won't do it." I said remembering seeing a hacksaw on the roof.

Glenn shined his flashlight through the grate and I walker was standing there. IT reached its arms through the bars and growled.

"We better get outta here." I said.

"Ya you can say that again." Glenn said.

**Rick Grimes**

I saw Andrea looking through the jewelry in the store.

"See something you like?" I said

"Not me but I know someone who would. My sister, she's still such a kid in some ways. Unicorns dragons she's into all that stuff, but mermaids those are her favorites." Andrea said.

"Why not take it?" I said.

"There's a cop staring at me." She said.

I laughed a bit. "Would it be considered looting?" she asked.

"I don't think those rules apply anymore do you?" I asked.

She smiled and grabbed the mermaid necklace and put t in her back pocket.

"Your sister sounds a lot like my niece Amanda, she's only 16 but she's into all that stuff to. She's Dom's sister all he's focused on is finding her, and my wife and son." I said.

"That's funny Amy is best friends with a girl at our camp named Amanda." Andrea said.

Could it possibly be Amanda? If it was that must mean Lori and Carl are there as well.

"What's her last name?" I asked.

"Ba…" She started.

I heard glass break and I looked over and a walker had used a giant stone to break through the first set of doors. I drew the gun I took from Merle, and aimed it at the door. Just then Dom, Glenn, Jackie, and Morales came back.

"What you find down there Dom?" I asked.

"Not a way out." He said loading his gun with clips he took from Merle.

The walkers started banging on the second door. "We need to find a way out." Andrea said.

We all made our way up to the roof, and I looked over to edge with a pair of binoculars. I saw a construction site we a bunch of trucks and I knew they always kept spare keys on hand and we could use those to open the sewer grate or drive some truck out of here.

"See that construction site they always have spare keys on hand." I said handing Morales the binoculars.

"You'll never make it past the walkers." Morales said.

"You got me and Dom out of that tank." I said to Glenn.

"Ya but they were feeding they were distracted." Glenn said.

"Can't we just distract them again?" Dom asked.

"Wait ya the boy's on to something, a distraction like on Hogan's heroes." Merle Said from where he was still cuffed.

"God give it a rest." Jackie said.

"There drawn by sound right?" I asked

"Right just like dogs if they hear sound they come." Glenn said.

I had an idea forming in my head now.

"What else?" I asked.

"Aside from the hear you, they see you, smell you, catch you, and eat you." Morales said

"Wait they can tell us by smell?" I asked.

"Ya they smell dead we don't it's pretty distinct." Andrea said.

"Ya tell me about it." Dom said.

"Dom are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked him.

"Yes I am Uncle Rick and I think it's crazy." He said.

"Good come on let's go." I said leading everyone downstairs.

**Dominic Frank Baker.**

Uncle Rick started grabbing rubber gloves from the shelf and handing them to everyone. I knew what his plan was and it was crazy, but Uncle Rick never let me down so I'm just gonna go with it.

"If bad ideas were and Olympic event this would take home the gold." Glenn said

"He's right okay. Just take some time to think this through." Morales said.

"Trust me Morales Uncle Rick knows what he's doing." I said

"We don't have time to think it over they already go through one set of door, that other one won't hold forever." Uncle rick said.

He tossed me and Glenn a pair of gloves and a poncho each. Dammit I was hoping to sit this one out.

"Uncle Rick you know I have a weak stomach I can't do this." I said.

"Come on Dom do it for Amanda." He said.

Damn he was wright I had to tough it out.

Morales and Uncle Rick went out into the alley we came in at and dragged in the two walkers that we killed earlier. Glenn me and Uncle Rick all had ponchos and gloves on now, oh god this wasn't gonna be pretty.

Uncle Rick used a crowbar and broke the glass, to a fire ax and pulled it out. He took one huge swing with the ax and smashed it into the walker's stomach splattering its guts everywhere.

"Oh god." I said turning away feeling sick.

Uncle Rick took more swing staking off the walkers limbs, making all of us turn away in disgust.

"Oh god Uncle Rick." I said.

"Here keep chopping." Uncle Rick said handing the ax to Morales

Morales hit it a few more times till its guts were literally spilled open. After he stopped we all just looked at it in disgust.

"Everyone got gloves?" Uncle Rick asked.

We all nodded. "Good don't get any on your skin or in your eyes." Uncle rick said.

Everyone slowly started grabbing handfuls of guts and rubbing it over there ponchos, I couldn't take it anymore I turned around and through up all over the floor.

"Come on Dom do it for Amanda." Uncle Rick said.

He was wright, I started grabbing handfuls and smearing it all over my poncho. Soon me Uncle Rick and Glenn were covered and we smelled just like walkers.

"Do we smell like them?" Uncle Rick asked.

"Oh ya mission accomplished." Andrea said.

Glenn just finished vomiting when Andrea handed him her gun.

"Here Glenn, just in case." She said

We were ready now. Morales, T-dog, Andrea and Jackie were all staying back while Uncle Rick, Glenn, and I were all going for the construction site.

"If we make it back be ready." Uncle Rick said.

"What about Merle Dixon?" T-dog asked.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the handcuff key. Merle was an asshole but nobody deserved to be left to these walkers.

"Here T-dog, he may be an asshole but nobody deserves to get left to those things." I said tossing him the key.

"Give me the ax." Uncle Rick said.

Jackie handed him the ax and we were finally ready.

**Rick Grimes**

We slowly moved out the door and started down the street. Dom was visibly sick to his stomach; the kid had always had a weak stomach ever since he was little. I knew though he would tough it out for his sister.

We were completely covered in gut and we walked ever so slowly not making a sound, I had the ax at the ready and Dom's hand was on his gun. We walked past a few walkers and everything went fine. We climbed under the bus and were soon on the main street with all the walkers. None of them came at us our disguises were working. Soon I heard the thunder start to rumble and I knew we were in for a fight.

**Amanda Marie Baker. **

"That hose isn't long for this world is it." Dale said taking a tool from Jim.

"Where the hell are we gonna find a replacement?" Dale said.

I walked away and joined Amy who was panicking.

"It's late they should've been back by now!" She said.

"Worrying won't make it any better." Dale said.

"He's right Amy." I said.

We walked towards the radio when I heard it go off.

I heard T-dog's voice. "Hello base camp. Can anyone out there hear me?"

Amy, Shane, Aunt Lori, Dale and I all walked over to the radio.

"Hello base camp this is T-dog can anyone hear me?" it said.

Dale grabbed the radio. "Hello, Hello receptions bad on this end over."

There was static for a bit then T-dog talked again.

"Hello we're in deep shit we're trapped in the department store." He said

"Did he say there trapped?" Shane asked.

I went over and hugged Aunt Lori and Carl.

"We're surrounded by walkers hundreds of them." It said.

"T-dog repeat that last, repeat!" Dale said.

Nothing but static came out of the radio as the thunder started to get louder.

"He said they were in the department store?" Aunt Lori said.

"I heard them say that to." Dale said.

I walked over to Shane. "Shane." I said.

"No way Amanda we do not go after them, we don't risk the rest of the group for them." Shane said

"So what were just gonna leave them there!?" Amy said

"Look Amy I know that this isn't easy." Shane said.

"She volunteered to go, to help the rest of us!" She said.

"Yes and she knew the risk wright? I'm sorry but if she's trapped she's gone." Shane said

"She's my sister you son of a bitch." Amy said before running off.

"Amy!" I said running after her

I found her eventually in the woods leaning against a tree crying.

"Come on Amy calm down." I said putting my arm around her.

"I can't Amanda! My sister is trapped and that son of a bitch won't go save her, and now I'm probably gonna lose her." She said.

"Listen I know exactly how you feel." I said.

She just cried into me and I hoped for her sake Andrea was okay.

**Dominic Frank Baker**

The stench still made me wanna throw up, but so far we were fine. No walkers noticed us thanks to the fact we had walker guts all over us. The thunder rumbled and it sent a shot worry into me.

"This is gonna work I can't believe it." Glenn said.

"Don't draw attention." Uncle Rick said.

We got another 10 yards, that's when I felt the first rain drop hit my head. Soon after that it was coming down like crazy.

"Gotta love that Georgia weather." I said.

The walkers started to stir, growling and moving more.

"The smells' washing off isn't it!" Glenn said.

"No it's not just stay calm." Uncle Rick said.

My right hand was on my gun ready to draw if needed. Walkers started coming after us.

"Well maybe it is run!" Uncle Rick said.

He pulled out the ax and plunged it into the head of a zombie. I drew my gun ready to fire, while we were running. They were coming at us from behind I turned around and started firing into the huge crowd not missing a shot, while Uncle Rick killed the ones in front of us with the ax. Soon we reached a chain link fence I tossed my gun over and hopped the fence while Uncle Rick and Glenn did the same. I picked up my gun and the three of us all tossed off our ponchos. The rain was coming down like a waterfall my blonde hair was now completely dark we kept running not looking back. Uncle Rick and I started shooting the one climbing the fence while Glenn ran over to the key box and grabbed a set of keys.

"Rick!" Glenn yelled.

Uncle Rick turned around and caught the set of keys that Glenn grabbed; I shot one more then followed my uncle.

"Dom get in the back and pick them off!" Uncle Rick said tossing me the rest of his ammo.

I slid open the back of what looked like a U-Haul truck and jumped in the back and started picking off the walkers.

"GO UNCLE RICK!" I yelled.

He started driving and I grabbed onto what I could and picked off the walkers one by one. Uncle Rick drove through the chain link fence and through all the walkers. I kept firing until we reached a clear are. Uncle Rick and Glenn got out and I joined them. Uncle Rick broke the window of a red car and the alarm started blasting.

"Glenn you need to lead them away from the front of the department store so me and Dom can get everyone out!" Uncle Rick said

Glenn got into the car with the alarm still blasting and drove away fast. I hopped into the front passenger seat and shot as many as I could through the windshield as Uncle Rick drove to the department store.

Glenn drove past the department store with the alarm blasting and the walkers started following him. Soon we were near the department store waiting for everyone to come out, they needed to hurry. I kept firing and killing as many walkers as I could I couldn't miss. I kept thinking about Amanda and I knew I wouldn't miss. Uncle Rick hopped out and opened the garage of the store and Andrea, Morales, Jackie, and T-dog all hopped into the back of the truck and we were on our way, I guess they left Merle behind.

After we were away from the walkers on our way out of the city Uncle Rick was driving and we all just sat in the back panting everyone relieved that we survived.

"I dropped the damn key." T- Dog said sadly.

He was visibly upset, but nobody else seemed worried.

"Wait where's Glenn?" Andrea asked.

Uncle Rick explained where Glenn was and everyone was relieved. Now all I wanted to do was get to their camp and rest.

And find Amanda soon.


	5. Chapter 5

The dead walking

**Dominic Frank Baker**

We approached the camp and I was anxious, I just wanted to sleep I feel like I haven't slept in days. As we approached the camp it was about dawn. Uncle Rick was behind the wheel, I was sitting in the back I had thrown up three times. Other than feeling anxious I felt a huge pain of guilt and I knew Uncle Rick felt it to. We left Merle behind, we left him to die. I felt the most pain from it mainly because I was the one who cuffed him to the roof.

"Best not to dwell on it son, Merle getting left behind. Nobody is gonna be sad about it. Except for maybe Daryl." Morales said

"Daryl?" I asked.

"His brother." Morales said.

Great so I lost someone a brother, I know what it feels like to lose a sibling and I just out someone else through it. Well I knew Amanda was alive, I wasn't sure about it but I knew she was.

We all heard a car alarm blasting near us, and we looked out the window and saw Glenn driving past in his car cheering and whooping.

"Well at least someone's having a good day." I said.

We drove a little bit longer and soon the camp was in sight. I knew Glenn must have reached them ahead of us. I knew his group wouldn't be happy about the alarm. I was sitting up front now and I looked through the windshield and saw Glenn and everyone else in the group around him. We parked the truck and Morales patted my shoulder.

"Come on you two come meet everybody." He said.

I looked out the window and saw Andrea hugging another girl with blonde hair that looked younger. I guessed that was her sister. Morales had a bunch of kids and older women come embrace him that must've been his wife and kids. Listened and heard Glenn say.

"Two new guys, well ones 17 they got us out." Glenn said.

"Hey Officer Friendlies come out and say hello." I heard Morales said.

Me and Uncle Rick bot got out of the car and walked up to the group.

"The one guys a cop and the younger guys a future cop." Morales said.

The first person I saw was Shane, Uncle Rick's partner. He had the most shocked look on his face like he was looking at two ghosts. I looked past him and saw Aunt Lori and Carl. Carl's eyes started to tear up and he ran and jumped into his dads arms. We both ran up to them.

"DAD DAD." Carl yelled

Uncle Rick started to cry as him and his family embraced. After they finally separated they looked at me.

"Oh my gosh Dom." Aunt Lori said hugging me.

I hugged my Aunt as tight as I could as tears started coming from my.

"God I missed you Aunt Lori." I said.

"DOM it's you!" Carl said hugging you.

"God it's great to see you buddy." I said hugging them both.

"Dom." I heard a voice say.

I looked up and tears came to my eyes. It was Amanda, the same as when I last saw her, her brown hair was longer and she was wearing a blue tank top with a lite jacket on.

"Oh my god Amanda." I said running to her.

She dropped the fire wood she was carrying and ran up to me and hugged me.

"I love you much little sis." I said crying.

"I missed you so much big brother." She said crying onto my shirt.

Uncle Rick, Aunt Lori, and Carl joined us in a huge hug, and I could do nothing but cry. I looked around for my mother but she wasn't anywhere.

I let go of Amanda. "Where's mom?" I said with a smile.

Amanda's smile immediately turned upside down, I looked at Aunt Lori and she put her hands on my shoulders and hugged me. No no no she can't be.

"Where is she?" I asked seriously.

"She's gone she got bit, and and we had to…" Amanda started, she started crying before she could finish.

"No no no." I said starting to cry.

I started crying, my mother was dead. The women who raised me cared for me was gone. I put my face in my hands and feel to my knees and sobbed. Amanda hugged me and we both sat and cried. I noticed someone else was missing.

"Please don't tell me Rocket's gone to." I said.

Amanda laughed a bit. "No he's fine he's just out hunting with one of our guys he's missed you haha." She said.

I hugged my sister and kissed her head. "I promise I ain't gonna let nothing happen to you little sis." I said.

Amanda reached on her waist and handed me a knife.

"I think this belongs to you." She said with a smile.

I grabbed the knife and realized it was my dad's old knife I gave to Amanda the day of the outbreak.

It was diffidently a bitter sweet day.

That night we were all huddled around the fire eating little bits of food, it felt like days since I ate. I sat with Amanda next to me leaning on my shoulder. To my right was Andrea's Sister Amy who has been really welcoming to me the whole day.

Amy tapped my hand and asked. "Dom, Amanda told me what happened the day of the outbreak. Can you tell us what happened? If you want to." She asked.

I bit my lip, I looked at Uncle Rick. Carl was lying on his lap and his arm was around Aunt Lori.

"Um Uncle Rick can tell you I have to go for a second. I'll be wright back Amanda." I said.

I walked away for a little bit and just sat near the RV and thought about what had happened. My mom was dead and I still can't believe it.

"Hey kid can I talk to you for a second?" I heard Shane say.

I looked up and he was standing in front of me.

"Ya what's up?" I asked.

He sighed. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for not waiting for you and leaving you behind. There were walkers everywhere and I just needed to get Lori, Carl and Amanda out." Shane said.

"It's okay Shane, I owe you a lot for keeping Amanda safe for the time I've been gone. Thank you for that, I'm ready to do anything I can to help." I said.

"No problem and I'll let you know if we need anything." He said.

We sat there for a moment he smiled and laughed a bit. "Hey Amy's been checking you out man. She's cute isn't she haha." He said

He was diffidently wright she was gorgeous, and had been real nice to me. I was just focusing on keeping me and Amanda alive.

"Haha you're wright she really is. Sleep good Shane thanks again." I said.

"No problem you to kid." Shane said walking away.

I walked back over to Amanda and everyone else. "I'm going to sleep I'll see you in the morning." I said.

Everyone said goodnight to me, and some people thanked me for what I did in the city. I just got to my tent when I heard someone call my name.

"Hey Dom wait!" I heard.

I turned around and saw Amy. "What's up Amy?" I said smiling.

"I wanted to say thanks for getting my sister back safe, she's all I have left." She said.

She looked really pretty in the little light there was.

"It was no problem at all." I said smiling.

"Hopefully this can repay you." She said.

She walked up and kissed me on the lips; I went really red and returned her kiss. After about a minute we pulled apart.

"Goodnight." She said walking away smiling.

I went to sleep that night feeling great; I felt something special about Amy. I was anxious for the morning. I slept like a rock that night, but I kept one eye open.

**Rick Grimes**

I woke up from the best sleep I've had in a while. Lori wasn't next to me so I guessed she left early to go and do some chores. I walked up to the RV and saw Carol washing clothes.

"Morning." She said.

"Morning." I said back

"There still a little damp but the sun will have them dry in no time." She said pointing to my clothes.

"You washed my clothes?" I said.

"Well the best I could on a washboard, it's not like my old Maytag back home but it works." Carol said.

"Thank you." I said

"No problem." She said

I looked over near a cooking spit and saw Dom sitting with Amanda and Amy. He was holding hands with Amy. I laughed a bit and he looked at me and waved.

"Morning Uncle Rick." He said.

"Morning Uncle Rick." Amanda said.

I saw Glenn sitting there looking at Dale and Jim dismantling the car he drove from the city.

"Look at them scavengers." He said to me.

"Go ahead pick it clean!" He said to them

"Generators need every drop of fuel they can get got no power without it sorry Glenn." Dale said.

"Don't worry Glenn maybe we'll get to steal another one someday." I said to him before walking away.

I walked over to Lori. "Morning Officer." She said.

"Hey." I said.

"Sleep okay?" She asked.

"Better than I did in a long time." I said.

"I didn't wanna wake you I thought you could use the sleep." She said.

"Thanks." I said.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I'm just thinking about the man we left behind." I said.

"You're not serious are you?" She said

Before I could say anything I heard a car approach I looked back and saw Shane drive up in a truck.

"Water's here y'all, just a reminder to boil before use." He said getting out of the truck.

I looked back at Lori.

"Are you asking or telling me?" She said.

"Asking." I said.

"Well I think it's stupid you just got back, and you know Dom will ask to go to and we can't put Carl and Amanda through that again." Lori said.

Before I could say anything else a scream went through the air.

"MOM!" I heard Carl yell

Lori and I both immediately ran in the direction of his voice. More of the kids screams went through the air and me, Lori, Shane, and Dom followed by Amy and Amanda ran towards the sound.

"Uncle Rick!" I heard Dom yell

I turned and he tossed me a handgun that I caught. Shane had his shotgun and Dom had his dad's gun and we were all running towards the sound. Carl came running and he ran to Lori while I kept running towards were the kids came from.

Shane, Dom and I all ran towards a clearing where we found a walker eating a deer. We aimed at it and just watched it munch on the deer. Amy and Amanda came into view.

"Amy, Amanda get back!" Get Dom said.

Shane bashed it with his shotgun, and by now Glenn, Dale and Jim had joined us and we all started beating down the walker not firing a shot. Dale finally killed it by bringing an ax down on its head.

This was a hell of a way to start a morning.

**Dominic Frank Baker.**

We all sat there and looked at the walker in amazement. What would it doing up here?

"This is the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the mountain." Dale said

"Well they're running out of food in the city that's what's happening." Jim said.

We heard branches and trees start to rustle and we all aim towards the woods ready to kill any walkers. A walker didn't come out it was a man carrying a crossbow.

"Oh Jesus." Shane said.

"Son of a bitch that was my deer." The man said.

I heard a bark and out from behind the man came a large brown and black German Shepard. It was Rocket!

"Rocket!" I said.

He barked happily and came up and jumped all over me and started licking my face.

"Haha I missed you to boy." I said petting him.

"So you must be that girls brother this dog's owner." The man said.

"Ya that's me." I said.

"Well he's a good dog tracks like a pro I got a dozen or so squirrels because of him." He said.

"He was a military dog." I said.

"Well that explains it, but god dammit I've been tracking this deer for miles. I was gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison. What do you think? Think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?" He asked.

"I would not risk that." Shane said.

"Damn well I got the squirrels at least." He said walking towards the camp.

We all walked back up to the camp towards the RV.

"Merle! Merle, get your ugly ass out here I got us some squirrel lets stew'em up." He said.

A rush of guilt ran through me this was Daryl, Merle's brother. The brother of the man I left behind. I looked back at Amy.

She grabbed my shoulder. "Let them handle it!" She said.

"I can't do that I gotta own up to it." I said.

"Daryl slow up I gotta talk to you." Shane said.

We all gathered around Daryl, me, Shane, Glenn, Uncle Rick and T-Dog.

"About what?" Daryl asked.

"About Merle, there was a uh problem in Atlanta." Shane said.

"He dead?" Daryl asked.

"We're not sure." Shane said.

"Well he either is or he ain't!" Daryl said.

I stepped up "There's no easy way to say this so I'll just say it." Uncle Rick said.

"Who the hell are you?" Daryl asked.

"Rick Grimes." Uncle Rick said.

"Well Rick Grimes is there something you wanna tell me?" Daryl said angrily.

I wasn't about to let Uncle Rick take the fall for me. I stepped forward.

"Hold on Uncle Rick you ain't taking the fall for me." I said.

"And who are you puppy trainer." He asked.

Rocket started to growl. "Easy boy, I'm Dom Baker." I said.

"Well is there something you wanna tell me Dom Baker." He said.

"Your brother was a danger to the whole group so I brought him down on the roof and handcuffed him to a piece of metal he's still there." I said standing tall.

"Wait so let me process this, you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there!" Daryl yelled.

"Yeah." I said.

He looked at me for a second then tossed his bag aside and swung at me. Before he got to me Shane tackled him up against the RV. He fell to the ground and pulled out a knife and swung it at me. I back up and dodged two swings, and then Shane grabbed him from behind and knocked his knife to the ground.

"Man you'd best let me go!" Daryl yelled from Shane's head lock.

"Nah I think it's better if I don't." Shane said

"Choke holdings illegal." He said.

"Ya well go file a complaint." Shane said.

Shane brought him to the ground and I knelt and looked at Daryl.

"Know I wanna have a calm discussion about this, do you think we can manage that?" I said.

He nodded and Shane let him go.

"Now listen I didn't do what I did on a whim, your brother doesn't play well with others." I said.

"It's not Dom or Rick's fault I had the key but I dropped it." T-Dog said

"And you couldn't pick it up!" Daryl said.

"I dropped it down a drain." T-Dog said.

"If that's supposed to make me feel better it doesn't." Daryl said getting up.

"Well maybe this will, I chained the door shut so the walkers couldn't get at him." T-Dog said.

"That's gotta matter for something." Uncle Rick said.

Daryl started to tear up. "To hell with all of y'all just tell me where he is so I can go get him" He said sobbing a bit

"I'll show you were he is, I'm going back." I said.

"No Dom you're not going back I am." Uncle Rick said.

"What! Uncle Rick I have to go I did this." I said.

"No you need to stay here with Shane and keep watch." Uncle Rick said.

I knew he was wright so I didn't argue. I just walked off with Shane. After a bit Uncle Rick came out in his uniform, which reminded me to get mine from Carol.

"So that's it huh? You just gonna walk off say to hell with everyone else?" Shane asked.

"I'm not saying to hell with anyone, not you Shane Lori least of all." Uncle Rick said walking off.

We both followed him.

"Just just tell me why Rick why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?" Shane asked

"Hey you chose your words more carefully." Daryl said.

"No I used the wright one douche bag is what I meant." Shane said

"Merle wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst." Shane said

"We just left him there to walkers Shane that's not a way for anyone to die let alone a human being." Uncle Rick said.

"Uncle Rick you have to let me go!" I said.

"No Dom we need you here, especially since Rick's taking most of our manpower we need you here." Shane said.

I knew he was wright but I still felt guilty not going.

"So you and Daryl that's your grand plan." Aunt Lori said.

Uncle rick looked at Glenn. "Oh no not again please." Glenn said.

"You've been there before you know your way around; in and out no problem you said so." Uncle Rick said.

"Okay fine I guess so." Glenn said.

"Great now you're gonna risk three men." Shane said.

"Four I'm going to." T-Dog said.

Shane out his hands on his head and started pacing back and forth.

"That's four guys at risk." Dale said.

Shane came back. "No it's not just four you're putting every single one of us at risk just know that Rick. I mean come on you saw that walker it was here it was in camp! There moving out of the city and when they do we need every able body here we need them here! We need them to protect camp." Shane said.

"Wait a second it sounds like what we really need here is more gun, I dropped them back in the city remember Uncle Rick?!" I said.

"That's right the guns." Glenn said.

"Wait what guns?" Shane asked.

"Six shotguns, 5 rifles over a dozen handguns me and Dom had them with us and we dropped them when we got swarmed. It's just waiting there on the street waiting to be picked up." Uncle Rick said

"How much ammo?" Shane asked.

"Over 1000 rounds assorted, that's even more reason for me to go I dropped them!" I said.

Shane looked at me. "Look kid with Rick already taking four people I need you here especially in case we get attacked." Shane said.

"But I caused this I need to." I said.

"You went through hell to come find us, and you just wanna turn around and leave already again big bro?" Amanda said who had just showed up with Amy.

"Please don't go Dom." Amy said holding my arm.

I bit my lip a thought. Shane did have a point me him were the only ones who really knew how to our guns. I looked at Amanda, she was right to I had just found her I didn't wanna be apart from her again. I also just met Amy I never knew she could be gone tomorrow; I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could.

"What about you Rick? Just like Amanda said you just found us and your gonna leave again?" Aunt Lori said.

"I… I don't want you to go Dad." Carl said.

"To hell with the guns Shane's right! Merle Dixon! He's not worth one of your lives even with guns thrown in!" Aunt Lori said.

"I need that bag Lori, it will help us all." Uncle Rick said.

He knelt down to Carl. "Okay I promise I'll be back Carl." He said.

Carl nodded and walked off with his mom. Uncle Rick walked up to me.

"If anything happens Dom keep an eye on them for me." He said

"I promise Uncle Rick, I'll keep them safe." I said.

He nodded then walked off. Shane came up to me after that.

"Alright Dom let's be honest here we're the two strongest people here so if u see anything or anyone out of line don't be afraid to get involved. And of you see a walker try not to fire a shot." Shane said

I nodded and he walked off to do his jobs. I walked back up to the RV where Amy and Amanda were waiting. Amy grabbed my hand and Amanda smiled.

"I'll leave you two alone, I'm gonna go take watch with Dale on top of the RV if you need me Dom." Amanda said walking away.

Amy looked at me and smiled. "Finally alone." She said.

She put her arms around me and was about to kiss me when we heard a cough. We both turned and saw Andrea.

"You two can do that some other time, come on Amy we got clothes duty." Andrea said.

Amy looked at me and frowned. "Well we can continue this later, wanna come wash clothes with us." She said.

"Sounds pretty fun." I said.

She smiled kissed me fast and started walking towards the quarry were they washed clothes.

I was about to follow bit Andrea grabbed my wrist. She looked at me with a death glare.

"Listen here Officer friendly, my sister really likes you and if you do anything to hurt her do not think I will not shove my foot so far up your ass you will taste my knee cap! GOT IT!?" She said.

She started walking towards the quarry.

"Message received." I said starting to walk to the quarry.


	6. Chapter 6

The dead walking

**Dominic Frank Baker**

So I eventually caught up to Amy and we walked down to the quarry where Jackie, and Carol where already washing some of the clothes. Amy and I and soon after Andrea all came over and grabbed some clothes and started washing. I looked behind us and saw Carol's husband Ed sitting back on a lawn chair smoking. He had a real smug look on his face and every part of me wanted to say something but I didn't wanna start up any trouble.

"So you know what you're doing Dom?" Carol asked laughing a bit.

"Oh hell ya I washed clothes all the time." I said.

Amy started laughing. "HA that's not what Amanda tells me." She said with a smirk.

"Oh ya and just what did Amanda tell you?" I said.

"She told me about the time you went to wash your baseball uniform and your white pants turned out pink." She said laughing.

Everyone laughed even me I remembered that time I played the whole game with pink pants, I did have three hits and five RBI's that game however. I looked across the lake and saw Carl with Shane, Shane was splashing around in the water and Carl was holding a net out in the lake.

"Now can someone please explain to me how the women ended up doing all the Hattie McDaniel work?" Jackie asked.

"Hey I am no women!" I said joking.

Everyone laughed Amy put her arm me. "You'd be a beautiful girl Dom." She said and everyone laughed again.

"The world ended didn't you get the memo." Andrea said.

"It's just the way it is." Carol said.

"I do miss my Maytag." Carol said.

"Ya I miss my Benz my sat nav." Andrea said.

"I miss my computer and texting." Amy said.

"Man I do miss those pink baseball pants." I said.

Everyone started laughing and for being in the middle of an apocalypse it was a great moment. We sat there laughing when Ed came down to the lake side from his seat.

"What's so funny?" He asked taking the cigarette out of his mouth.

"Just swapping war stories Ed." Andrea said.

He came up closer to us and it made us all a little uncomfortable.

"Problem Ed?" Andrea asked.

"Nothing that concerns you, you better focus on your work this ain't no comedy club." He said.

He was starting to bug me now I went to stand up but Amy grabbed my arm and shoke her head and I just stood up with the rest of the women. Andrea seemed to get pretty mad however.

"Ya know what Ed is you don't like how your laundry is done why don't you pitch in and do it yourself, here." She said tossing him the wet rag.

Ed threw it back at her and she stumbled back a little bit. "That ain't my job missy." He said

I got straight up and walked over to him. "No Dom don't." Carol said.

"And just what the hell is your job Ed to sit on your fat lazy ass and smoke cigarettes all day." I said

"That's better than listening to some kid wanna be cop, hey you come on let's go." He said pointing to Carol.

"I say she doesn't need to go anywhere with you Ed." I said.

"And I say it's none of your business, come on now you heard me." Ed said.

Carol got up and started walking towards him but I stopped her.

"No Carol don't." I said.

She tries getting past me again.

"Hey don't think I won't knock you on your ass, I ain't afraid of some kid who likes to play dress up in a cop uniform. Now you come on now or you're gonna regret it later." He said

"What so she can show up with fresh bruises later Ed. Ya we've seen them." Jackie said.

He started laughing. "You stay outta this, now come on!" He said grabbing Carol.

We all grabbed Carol and tried pulling her back.

"Now you listen you don't tell me what! I tell you what!" He said slapping Carol across her face making her fall.

Automatically I pushed him back and went to swing but before I could Shane was on him. He grabbed his shirt and dragged him away and tossed him on the ground. Shane started landing right hooks right to the side of his face and soon he was bleeding, but Shane didn't stop there he kept on going. I detached myself from Carol and ran over and grabbed Shane's arms and pulled him back.

"Shane, Shane that's enough man I think he gets the point!" I said dragging him off of Ed.

I looked at Shane he was in total rage I don't wanna know what set him off. I let him go and he got back on top of Ed and grabbed his face.

"Now you listen to me if you put your hands on your wife, your little girl, or anyone else in this camp Dom will NOT stop me next time. I'll beat you to death Ed do you understand me!?" Shane said.

Ed groggily nodded his head and Shane punched him one more time. "And one other thing Dom may still be a kid, but he is TEN times the man you are." He said before getting off if him kicking him and walking away.

Carol got lose and ran over to Ed and started crying over him Shane just stormed off back towards camp, Amy came over and hugged me. I looked at what Shane did and it was diffidently pretty bad.

This had been an interesting start to the day.

**About two hours later.**

We drifted slowly in the canoe on top of the surprisingly crystal blue water. Amy had her line casted out, and I was just sitting there admiring the scenery. She looked at me and laughed.

"Ha what's so funny?" I asked.

She just looked at me, her eyes were so pretty. "Just your face you fell asleep for a little bit." She said.

I laughed. "Well I never fished in my life, but you look like something's up you wanna tell me?" I asked.

Her reel clicked a little bit and she sighed and teared up a little bit. "Oh it's just fishing reminds me of my dad. I practically grew up in a boat like this my dad loved fishing." She said.

"Where are you and Andrea from?" I asked.

"Florida, me and Andrea came here on a road trip. The outbreak started when we were here and we haven't seen our parents since." She said starting to cry a little.

"Hey hey calm down no crying in the boat." I said sliding over to her.

She pulled in her line and sat on my lap and started crying. I just hugged her and started stroking her hair. Her crying about her parents made me think of my own, my dad who's gun was on my hip right now. I thought of my mom, I should've been here I should've protected her I promise dad I would. Soon I started crying with her and she looked up and looked at me.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"My mom I should've been here, I promised I would protect her and I wasn't here!" I said crying.

She kissed my cheek. "Your mother was the sweetest women I ever met always willing to lend a hand and help people, Amanda told me what you did that was brave of you." She said.

"I should've gone with them. I promised my dad I would protect them both Amanda AND mom. I let him down, god I miss them." I said crying into her.

She was crying along with me. "What happened to your dad Amanda never said." She asked.

"He was in Afghanistan, a simple supply mission he told us from the computer before he left. It wasn't his convoy got ambushed and the tank he was in got blown up by and RPG rocket. I promised him before he left I would watch after Amanda and Mom but I didn't I failed." I said crying still.

She lifted my head and kissed me. "At least you know about your parents, mine could be dead alive or walkers. Andrea is all I have left if I lose her I don't know what I'll do." She said.

"I already told myself if Amanda dies I'm dying with her, I'd die myself before I let my sister die." I said.

We sat there and cried with each other for a little bit. After she lifted my head and started kissing me. She made it deep we sat there and kissed for what felt like an hour when we finally pulled apart.

"We should probably get back to getting this fish." I said.

"The fish can wait." She said kissing me again.

She was in my lap and her legs were around my waist and she took my hand and put them on her breast. I felt them and she moaned into our kiss and started feeling down my shirt. I was in heaven right now and I wanted nobody but her with me. She finally pulled away.

"We can't do this now, come to my tent tonight." She said kissing me one more time.

We went back to fishing and soon had to lines full of fish it would diffidently be a good dinner tonight. We started walking back to camp.

This day had been pretty weird so far.

**Amanda Marie Baker.**

"Let me see the binoculars Dale?" I asked.

Dale handed over the binoculars and I scanned around for any signs of walkers. I had Dom's knife attached to my hip, I had wanted to give it back to him but he said it would be better if I had something to defend myself. I scanned around and to my surprise I saw Jim, he was digging somewhere in the distance.

"Hey Dale isn't that Jim?" I asked.

He grabbed the binoculars from me and looked where I did. "Ya that is Jim, what is he doing he's gonna keel over in this heat." Dale said.

"Ya your right come on let's go see what he's doing." I said climbing down the RV ladder.

Dale and I went to where we saw Jim and sure enough he was there he was digging holes into the ground. He was sweating up a storm he looked like he was about to fall over.

"Jim? You okay?" Dale asked

He didn't even notice us and just kept digging. "You keep this up Jim you're gonna keel over out here." I said.

Again he just kept on digging. "Drink some water at least." Dale said

He looked at us for a second and then just went back to digging. "Let's go get the others Dale." I said.

He nodded and we walked back to camp. "You think he's okay?" I asked.

"I don't know maybe he has sun stroke." Dale said.

We got back to the camp and Shane was sitting near the RV and Dom and Amy had just gotten back from fishing. They had gotten a bunch of fish and it would diffidently be a good meal tonight. We walked through the clearing and everyone turned to us smiling.

"Hey Dale when was the last time you oiled those line reels they are a disgrace haha." Amy said while Dom had her arm around her.

"Um I don't mean to alarm anyone but we may have a bit of a problem." Dale said turning and pointing to Jim.

"What's he doing up there?" Shane asked.

"That's our question we went up there to talk to him and he didn't say anything he just kept digging." I said.

"Well let's get up there see what's going on." Dom said.

"He's right let's go." Shane said.

I had a bad feeling about this.

**Dominic Frank Baker.**

We all just looked around Jim, he was just digging holes. The man looked like he was about to fall over. Why was he digging and what was it for? The group stayed back while me and Shane went up to Jim.

"Hey Jim, why don't you hold up and just give me a second here please." Shane said

Jim stuck the shovel in the ground and sighed and looked at us. "What do you want?" Jim asked

"We were just a little concerned man that's all." Shane said.

"Ya Jim, Dale says you've been out here for hours." I said.

"So?" Jim said

"So why are you digging, trying to dig to China Jim?" Shane said laughing a bit.

"So what does it matter I'm not bothering anyone." Jim said.

"Ya accept maybe yourself its 100 degrees out today Jim you can't keep this up." I said

"Ha sure I can watch me!" Jim said

Aunt Lori came up from behind us and talked. "Listen Jim they won't say it so I will you're scaring people you're scaring my son and Carol's daughter." She said.

"They got nothing to be scared of. I mean what the hell people I'm out here why don't y'all just go and leave me the hell alone." Jim said

"We think you need to take a break okay?" Shane said.

He ignored Shane and kept digging. "Now listen why don't you go get yourself some shade. Some food maybe, I'll tell you what maybe in a little bit I'll come out here and help you myself." Shane said.

"Jim why don't you tell us what it's about, why don't you go ahead and give me that shovel." Shane said.

He stopped digging. "Or what?" Jim said.

"Listen Jim there is no or what, I'm asking you I'm coming to you and I'm asking you please. I don't wanna have to take it from you." Shane said.

"If I don't then what, huh who voted you king boss?" Jim said

"Jim I'm not here to argue with you just give me the shovel please come on." Shane said.

"No no no." Jim said.

Shane went to take the shovel and Jim swung it at him, Shane ducked and tackled him to the ground and pinned his arms down.

"Dom get the shovel!" He said.

I ran over and grabbed the shovel and Jim started yelling and trying to resist.

"Listen Jim nobody is gonna hurt you okay?" I said.

"That's a lie that's the biggest lie there is. I told that to my wife and two boys I said it a hundred times it didn't matter in the end." Jim said from the ground.

This day just kept getting stranger.

**Another hour later **

Carl and I took a bucket of water down to the tree we had tied Jim tied to. We got to the tree and Jim was still awake.

"Hey Jim how ya feelin I brought you some water." I said.

"I'm feelin better, can you pour some of that on my head." He asked.

I did what he said I felt bad for the poor guy the sun cooked his head real good.

"Oh that feels good, hey Dom make sure everyone knows I'm sorry for scaring everyone like that." He said.

"The sun cooked up your head real bad nobody blames ya. Shane told me to come ask you though if you feel well." I said.

"Oh well I'm feeling much better." Jim said.

"That's good now how about you come with me and Carl back to camp we're having a big fish fry how's that sound." I said.

He smiled. "That sounds fantastic." Jim said.

I untied him from the tree and he, Carl and I started walking back to camp. We just got up to the RV when Amy came up and grabbed my arm. She leaned to my ear.

"Come with me this is the only chance we're gonna get." She said.

I smiled. "Carl why don't you take Jim to wear everyone else is I'll uh me and Amy will be there later." I said.

"Okay Dom but if you're not back soon I'm gonna eat yours." Carl said walking away with Jim.

I turned and smiled at Amy she kissed me. "Come on you let's go someplace private." She said.

Again this day had been very odd so far.

**Amanda Marie Baker.**

"Hey pass the fish please Amanda." Sophia asked.

I loved Sophia she was just adorable to bad her dad was an asshole, but still her Carl and Morales's kids were the only children in camp so I felt kinda sorry for her. I handed her the fish and looked around the camp fire to see if I could spot Dom but I still couldn't find him.

"Hey does anybody know where Dom is?" I asked.

"Ya and Amy to?" Andrea asked.

"Well the last time I saw Dom I sent him off to get Jim." Shane said.

I looked over at Jim. "Jim do you know where Dom is." I asked.

Jim laughed. "Haha oh ya him and Amy they… Well let's just say of you hear Amy's tent moving it's not a walker." Jim said.

Everyone started bursting out laughing. "Hahahaha do we have any condoms in camp?" Shane asked.

"Haha ya I picked up a box by accident on a run a few weeks back." Morales said.

"Well I bet Dom and Amy are real thankful for your accident." Aunt Lori said laughing.

The idea of my older brother having sex freaked me out, Carl nudged me and asked. "Hey Amanda what are they talking about?" He asked.

Everyone started laughing again. "Oh nothing Carl Dom and Amy are just kissing really hard ya that's it." I said.

That was like setting of a grenade filled with laughing gas, everyone was practically on the floor laughing, except for the kids of course.

"Hey guys hope we aren't too late." I heard my brother's voice say.

Everyone turned around and we saw him and Amy holding hands and sitting down next to me. Everyone tried to hold in there laughter to no avail.

"Oh haha you guys are so funny, just give me some fish." Dom said.

**Dominic Frank Baker.**

Well at least everyone was laughing and not tired and depressed. It was a good time we ate for a little bit longer and the fish Amy caught was good I'm glad I went with her. Amy got up and started walking away towards the RV.

"Hey where you going?" Andrea asked her.

"I have to pee jeez you try to be discreet around here." She said walking towards the RV.

Everyone laughed at that, Shane came over and sat next to me.

"So Dom how was your first time haha." Shane asked.

I stared at him and he laughed. "It was not my first ti…."

"AAHHHHHHHH" I heard Amy scream.

Shane and I both turned around and I saw a walker attached to her arm!

"AMY!" I yelled pulling out my gun.

Before I could fire a shot more screams pierced the air. I turned around to see more walkers coming for.

"Lori get Carl and get down!" Shane said firing his shotgun at the walkers.

I ran over to were a walker was on top of Amy and put a bullet in its head. Amy was bleeding from her neck and blood was everywhere. Andrea came and kneeled down next to her. I had to find Amanda.

"AMANDA!" I yelled running back down towards the fire pit.

"DOM I'M HERE!" She yelled she was huddled up with Aunt Lori, Carl and Shane.

I ran down there and got back to back with Shane and started killing any walker that came into my sight. A huge rage filled up inside me first my mom, now Amy I was gonna kill every last one of them.

"Come on guys work your way up towards the RV!" Shane yelled.

Amanda was right on my back and the walkers just kept coming. I shot another one when I heard multiple shotgun blast go of. I looked down towards the fire pit and saw Uncle Rick, T-dog, Daryl, and Glenn all walking up towards the camp picking of the walkers. I started shooting more walkers and soon it seemed they were all dead.

"BABY! CARL!" Uncle Rick yelled.

"DAD!" Carl yelled running to his dad.

Uncle Rick hugged his son then looked at us.

"Are you guys okay?" He asked.

"Ya you picked a good time to show up Uncle Rick." I said.

I just turned to Amanda and hugged her. "Are you okay none of them got you right?" I asked.

She was crying now. "Ya I'm fine." She said sobbing.

"NO AMY AMY!" Andrea yelled.

I turned around with Amanda and Andrea was on top of Amy's body crying. That's two people I cared for that these damn walkers have token from me I couldn't help but cry myself. Jim walked up next to me.

"I remember now, why I dug the holes." He said


	7. Chapter 7

The dead walking

**Rick Grimes**

I woke up with a grim expression on my face, Lori was already up she was out doing her chores or helping people move bodies. I couldn't believe almost half the group had been wiped out just like that. I got into my sheriff uniform and walked outside up towards the RV. I saw poor Andrea still over the body of her sister. I found Dom helping Daryl with moving bodies. He looked at me and walked over to me.

"How you feeling Uncle Rick? Glenn told me about what went down in Atlanta you okay?" He asked.

"Ya I could feel better but I'm fine." I said.

Glenn and T-dog came over and started helping Daryl with bodies, while Dom and I walked over to the fire pit with Shane, Dale, and Lori. Andrea was still over Amy's body.

"She still won't move?" I asked.

"Nope she won't even talk to us; she's been there all night." Lori said.

"We can't just leave Amy like that. We have to deal with it the same as the others." Dom said.

"I'll tell her how it is." I volunteered.

I walked over to Andrea and kneeled down next to her.

"Listen Andrea." I said.

Her gun was pointed at me before I could say anything else. "I know how the safety works." She said.

"Alright, okay I'm sorry." I said backing up slowly.

I walked back to the fire pit where everyone was.

"Y'all can't be serious, let that girl hamstring us? The dead girls a time bomb." Daryl said.

"Then what do you suggest?" I asked him.

"Take the shot, clean in the brain from here. Hell I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance." Daryl said.

"No! For god's sake let her be." Aunt Lori said.

Daryl scoffed and went back to working with the bodies. This was diffidently a terrible morning. Daryl went on yelling about we deserved this for leaving Merle for dead. The next thing we had to do was talk about what we were gonna do next this camp site obviously isn't safe anymore.

"A walker got him a walker bit Jim." I heard Jackie yell.

Dom drew his gun and so did I and we all walked over and circled Jim.

"Show it to us!" Daryl yelled.

"Guy's I'm okay I'm okay." Jim pleaded.

T-dog came up from behind and grabbed him and held his arms back. Sure enough a bite mark was on the left half of his stomach.

Oh god what where we gonna do.

**Dominic Frank Baker.**

"I say we put a pic-ax in his head and the dead girls and we can be done with it." Daryl said.

"Is that what you would want if it were you?" Shane said.

"Ya and I'd thank you why you did it." Daryl said.

"I hate to say it and I never thought I would but Daryl's right." Dale chirped up.

"Jim isn't a monster Dale or some rabid dog." Uncle Rick said.

"Well our policy is pretty clear no tolerance for walkers." I said.

These walkers had taken too much from me I had no tolerance for them, and as much as I liked Jim I'm sure he'd rather be killed now then turn into a walker.

"Well what if we can get him help? I heard the C.D.C was working on a cure." Uncle Rick said.

"I heard that to I heard a lot of things before the world went to hell." Shane said.

"Well what if the C.D.C is still up and running?" Uncle Rick said

"Ya and that is a stretch right there." Shane said

"Why? If there's any government structure left out there at all they would protect the C.D.C at all cost. They would have shelter protection rescue." Uncle Rick said.

"Okay Rick you want those things I do to. Now if they exist there at the army base at fort Benning." Shane said.

"That's a hundred miles in the opposite direction." Aunt Lori said

"That is right but it's away from the hot zone. Now if that place is operational it will be heavily armed, and we'd be safe there." Shane said.

"The military was on the front lines of this thing they got over run we've seen that. The C.D.C is our best choice and Jim's only chance." Uncle Rick said.

We all looked over at Jim. "You go lookin for aspirin do what you need to do, somebody needs to have some balls and take care of this damn problem!" Daryl said going to swing his pix-ax at Jim's head.

Uncle Rick reacted fast and just before Daryl swung he had his revolver pointed at Daryl's head.

"We don't kill the living." Uncle Rick said.

Daryl lowered his pic-ax. "Funny coming from a man who has a gun pointed to my head." Daryl said.

"We may disagree some things but not on this now you put it down go on." Shane said.

Daryl dropped the pic-ax and stormed off. Everyone else went off to do various things; I looked over at Andrea still over Amy's body. I walked over to her and knelt.

"I came to pay my respects." I said

Andrea just looked at me. "Did I ever mention to you how I lost my dad?" I said.

"Amanda told me it was a roadside bomb in Afghan." She said.

"Yeah after he died I didn't know what to do with myself. So for the last few years I have been so angry on the inside. Then this happens and I find Amanda but I figure out I lost my mom. I wanted to tell you I know what you're going through and she meant a lot to me." I said.

Andrea looked at me and smiled. "She really liked you ya know." She said.

"Ya I know." I said.

She smiled and I knew she was fine. I smiled and got up and went to join the others. I walked over to Daryl and started helping him with the bodies. We had to hit all of the brains of our people so we could make sure they didn't come back as walkers. I heard a barking and I looked behind Daryl and it was Rocket I almost forgot about him. He came up and licked my hand he obviously could tell I was upset.

I petted him once and we started walking to where Amanda was near the RV. I looked over at where Andrea was and I started to hear growling. Rocket barked once and I drew my gun, Uncle Rick, Shane and I walked over to Andrea. Amy had finally turned and was trying to bite Andrea. However before we got to them Andrea put a bullet through her head finally ending her suffering. Rocket whined and I petted him. We diffidently needed to move soon.

**Rick Grimes.**

We finished digging the holes Jim had been digging; we finally had to bury our people. I looked over at Shane who had been staring at me the whole time.

"Okay say it." I said knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"Fine I'm thinking if you had stayed here if you had looked after your own. Instead you went off you took half out manpower with you, I'm thinking out losses wouldn't have been so bad." He said

"If we hadn't gone of and brought them guns back I'm thinking our loses would've been a lot worse, maybe the entire camp." I said.

We heard a truck approaching, it was Daryl with the bodies of our people. He got out of the truck and joined us.

"I still think it's a mistake not burning these bodies. It's what we said we'd do right, burn them all that was the idea." He said.

Everyone else came Dom was with Amanda and Lori and Carl, with everyone else following behind them. We all started unloading the bodies into the hole which would be there graves. Amy's body was last and Andrea insisted she be the one to put it in the grave. Dale tried to help her but she was being stubborn. Eventually Andrea got her body in the grave and everyone was crying, Dale helped Andrea out of the hole and we all started walking back to camp. I was walking back with Lori and Carl.

"Burying other people is bad enough but the thought of one of our own." I said.

Lori shushed me. "Are we safe now dad?" Carl asked.

I knelt down. "I won't leave again I promise you that, not for anything." I said.

He started crying a bit. "Now you go find Dom and Amanda so I can discuss some things with your mom." I said.

He nodded and went ahead to find his cousins.

**Dominic Frank Baker.**

I put my arm around Amanda who was still crying a bit. "You think we'll ever be safe again?" She asked.

"Hey as long as you're with me you'll be safe I am not letting anything happen to you." I said.

Carl caught up to us and I hugged him. "My dad says he isn't leaving again." Carl said.

"That's good little man, now hey I gotta talk to Amanda real quick why don't you go play with Sophia and Morales's kids alright. Later we'll talk okay?" I said.

He nodded and ran off with the other kids. "Do you believe what Uncle Rick is saying about the C.D.C?" Amanda said.

I thought I really didn't like the idea I thought Fort Benning was a better idea. "Well we diffidently can't stay here that's for sure. I don't know about the C.D.C I think it's too big a risk I mean there could be nothing there." I said.

"Ya but Fort Benning is almost 100 miles and between here and there it's a hot zone for walkers, Uncle Rick is right if any government is left they'll protect the C.D.C" Amanda said

"That's true as well Shane and Uncle Rick are right, I just don't know which one is more wrong. The most important thing is we stay together." I said.

Rocket came over and barked and pointed towards the fire pit everyone was gathered there so Amanda, Rocket and I walked over there. Uncle Rick and Shane had just come back from there sweep.

"I've been thinking about Rick's plan and there are no guarantees, either way I'll be the first one to admit that. I've known this man a long time I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing is we need to stay together. So those of you that agree we leave first thing in the morning." Shane said.

Everyone I knew was thinking the same thing as me, Shane went with a plan that wasn't his own. I looked at Amanda and she thought the same thing as me.

Tomorrow was a big day.

**The next morning.**

"Alright everybody listen up those of you with C.B's were gonna be on channel 40, but let's keep the chatter down okay? Now if you have any kind of problem you hit your horn one time that's it. That'll stop the caravan, any questions?" Shane asked.

Amanda and I were gonna ride in the RV with Dale, Andrea, Jackie and Jim who's condition was getting worse. It was a decent ride to the C.D.C and we had enough fuel but just barely.

"We're uh we aren't going, we have family in Burmingham we want to be with our people." Morales said.

"You guys would be in your own with nobody to watch your back." Shane said.

"We'll take the chance I gotta do what's best for my family." Morales said.

"Are you sure?" Uncle Rick said

"We talked about it and yes we're sure." Morales said.

Uncle Rick nodded and him and Shane handed Morales a revolver and ammo. We all hugged and said goodbye to Morales and his family and then we all got into our vehicles and started out on the road. This was diffidently going to feel like a long ride. Glenn sat in the passenger seat directing Dale while Jackie sat in the back and took care of Jim. Amanda and I sat at the table with Andrea. It was terrible every time we hit a bump Jim would scream in pain. The poor man's bone must have felt like glass. Eventually there was a problem with the RV and we had to stop because the front of it was smoking.

We were all gathered around the RV. "I told you we'd never get far on that hose." Dale said.

Uncle Rick sighed and took off his hat. "I needed the one from the cube van." Dale said

"Can you jerry rig it?" I asked.

"That's all it's been so far its more duct tape then hose, and I'm all out of duct tape." Dale said.

Shane who was looking up the road through binoculars spoke up. "I see something up the road a gas station if we're lucky." He said.

Jackie came running out of the RV. "Guy's its Jim it's bad I don't think he can take no more." She said running back into the RV.

"Rick wanna hold down the fort I'll drive up see what I can bring back?" Shane said.

Uncle Rick nodded. "I'll come along with you and back you up." T-dog said.

"I'll go with ya to Shane." I said.

"Sounds good let's get moving." Shane said.

I turned to Amanda "I'll be back soon alright." I said.

She nodded and I got into the truck with Shane and T-dog.

**Rick Grimes.**

I walked into the RV and seated myself next to Jim the poor man looked like he was about to pass out.

"We'll be back on the road soon." I said.

"Oh no please. My bones are like glass every little bump oh my gosh. This ride is killing me, just leave me here I want to be with my family" He said weakly.

"They're all dead, I don't think you know what you're asking. The fever you've been delirious more often than not." I said to him

"You don't think I know that, I'm clear now. In five minutes I may not be. Rick I know what I'm asking I want this okay? It is my decision." He said.

I walked out of the RV and relayed to the group what Jim had told me. "It's what he said he wants." I told them.

"And he's lucid?" Carol asked.

"He seems to be I would say yes." I said.

Shane, Dom and T-dog had come back from the gas station and had gotten Dale what he needed so we just needed to decide what to do with Jim before we got on the road again.

"Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest we ask Jim what he wants, and I think we have an answer. "Dale said.

"We just leave him here and we take off? I don't think I could live with that." Dom said.

"Well it's nobody's call but Jim's." Aunt Lori said.

**Dominic Frank Baker.**

Uncle Rick and Shane carefully leaned Jim against a tree and all of us were there to say our goodbyes.

"Jim do you want this? Uncle Rick said offering Jim a gun.

"No no you'll need it, I'm okay." He said weakly.

Everyone said their goodbyes and I was last. "You take good care of your sister." He said.

"I will thanks Jim." I said.

I got up and made my way back to the RV, and I sat and hugged Amanda who was crying now. We started up the caravan and we were on the road to the C.D.C again. We still had a long ride to go all I knew was I had to hope Uncle Rick was right about the C.D.C.

**Later that night.**

I got out of the RV with my gun already drawn. The whole group slowly started walking up to the doors of the C.D.C.

"Dom here." Uncle Rick said tossing me a shotgun from our gun bag.

I caught it and put my pistol away. "Alright everyone keep moving and stay quiet." Uncle Rick said.

We all quietly made our way up to the doors; the ground around the building was filled with dead walkers and people. It smelled terrible and my weak stomach was having a hard time.

Uncle Rick and Shane got up and tried to open the shutter to the door while me and Daryl stood watch. Shane tried to pry it open to no avail and this is when everyone started to panic.

"There is nobody here." T-dog said.

"Then why are these shutters down!" Uncle Rick said.

"Walkers!" Daryl yelled.

We all turned and a walker was approaching, Daryl quickly took it down with his crossbow. He got pissed and went after Uncle Rick.

"You lead us into a fucking graveyard!" He said.

"He made a call calm down!" I said.

"It was the wrong damn call!" Daryl said

I went up to Daryl. "Shut up just shut up!" I said forcing him away.

"Rick this place is a dead end!" Shane said.

"Were we gonna go?!" Carol said.

"Do you hear me? No blame Rick." Shane said.

"She's right where are we gonna go!?" Amanda said from close to me.

"Fort Benning is still an option Uncle Rick!" I said.

"On what, No food no fuel that's a hundred miles." Andrea said.

"Forget Fort Benning we need answers tonight NOW!" Aunt Lori said.

"We will think of something!" Uncle Rick said.

"We need to get outta here let's go!" Shane said trying to get everyone to leave.

I was with Amanda and we started back towards the RV.

"Wait the camera it moved!" Uncle Rick said.

"You imagined it Uncle Rick we have to leave!" I said.

"No it moved it moved." Uncle Rick said getting closer to the door.

I ran up to him. "Listen Uncle Rick you're imagining things it's an automatic device okay! It's just gears come on we have to leave." I said trying to drag him away.

Uncle Rick got free of me and started banging on the shutters. "Uncle Rick there's nobody there!" I said.

"I know you're in there. I know you can hear me! Please were desperate!" Uncle Rick started pleading.

"Rick WE HAVE TO GO!" Shane said.

The two of us tried grabbing him and pulling him away but he kept yelling. "Please help us we have women children no food hardly any gas left! There's nowhere else for us to go!" He kept pleading.

I moved out to the courtyard to keep watch with Daryl for any walkers.

"If you don't let us in YOU'RE KILLING US YOU'RE KILLING US!" He screamed.

"Come on brother we have to leave!" Shane said grabbing him.

I grabbed Amanda and started towards the cars again Uncle Rick kept screaming and just before Uncle Rick was about to give up and turn around, the shutters opened.

And it looked like it was the gateway to heaven.


End file.
